Microsoft has released an Insider test that gives Xbox Series X, Series S, and One owners the option to sleep or “Active Hours,” and by choosing that you’ll be locked out. own console You can schedule hours manually if you know when to play, but an automatic option is available if you want the console to adapt to your habits.
The feature will be automatically enabled and scheduled on Xbox Series X/S systems, and by default the Xbox One will be always active, and you’ll have to configure the hours yourself, reports engadget.
The company is also offering a “Shut Down (Power Saving)” option that is said to use up to 20 times less power than sleep mode while still allowing for nightly updates for Xbox and its games.
And if you don’t mind longer startup times and the lack of remote wake-ups, you can lower your energy impact and potentially lower your bills. The update will be automatic for Xbox Series X/S users in the Insider Program, and should be available early today for One models.
Xbox also borrows “carbon-aware” downloads from Windows 11, and if carbon intensity data is available in your area, the device will schedule OS and game updates for those times when it’s most likely to rely on local renewable energy, instead of just picking up files early in the morning and Insiders will have This feature is immediate if the Xbox Series X/S is configured for automatic updates, while the One will have multiple testing options to help with feedback.
It is unclear how much power these features might save in the real worldMicrosoft Two Xbox consoles using Eco-Shutdown would save the carbon equivalent of one a tree clears in a decade, but that also assumes your machine is turned off for 20 hours a day.
Carbon downloads don’t matter unless renewables have a significant presence in your area, we add to Apple’s clean energy charge, though, it’s clear that tech brands now see the software as a way to further their environmental goals.