Xbox Series X has received an eco-friendly update that will literally save you money

techradar.com:

Microsoft has announced that Energy Saver mode on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S will now be able to download system and game updates – a feature that was previously reserved for the more power-hungry Standby mode. 

Microsoft outlined the change in a blog post on Xbox Wire, which shared the company’s plans on Xbox’s sustainability efforts. Microsoft is aiming to be carbon negative, water positive, and zero waste by 2030, and also revealed that it began incorporating Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) resins into the manufacturing body and various internal components of the Xbox Series S in late 2021. 

The company also used PCR resins in some of its recent Xbox Wireless Controllers like the Electric Volt and Daystrike Camo Special Edition. “Both controllers will contain a portion of resins made from recycled materials like automotive headlight covers, plastic water jugs and CDS,” said Microsoft’s director of product marketing Navin Kumar. Microsoft also includes 15 colors on Xbox Design Lab that use PCR resins.

However, it’s the change to Energy Saver mode that will arguably have the most immediate impact on consumers’ household bills and the environment. Energy Saver mode consumes about 20 times less power than Standby mode and is now the default option when players initially set up their console. And with this recent update, it’s a no-brainer to use it over Standby mode if you’re conscious about your electricity bills.

Knowing that your games and the Xbox’s system software will update automatically in this mode basically makes Standby mode unnecessary. Thanks to the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S’s super-fast SSD, the time it takes to boot up from Energy Saver mode and Standby mode is negligible. Quick Resume, Microsoft’s