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Big Energy Saving Week: 10 most power hungry video games

As Big Energy Week begins, a new report shows gaming can add up to £7.50 and 30 kWh to monthly domestic bills .

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Numbers have been released for Big Energy Week, which begins today 22nd January 2025. The figures come as concern continues to mount over the net zero transition focus on electrification and increasing capacity, rather than reducing usage, and the rapid rise of electricity-hungry artificial intelligence. 

According to GameTop’s research, Cyberpunk 2077 tops the leaderboard for the games that use the most amount of energy, sapping an average 30kWh of power per month, costing £7.50. Elden Ring: Shadow of the FutureThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Battlefield V, and Dragon’s Dogma 2 round out the top five. 

‘Not everyone is aware that the specific games you choose to play actually affect how much energy is used,’ said Serge Eliseeff, the CEO of GameTop, a leading platform for free, high-quality PC and mobile games. ‘With energy bills being such a concern for households right now, we wanted to investigate exactly how much different games impact electricity costs.’

‘Gaming consoles and PCs can quietly bump up your electricity bill without you noticing much at first. A high-performance gaming rig can draw as much power as a small fridge, especially if you’re gaming for hours or running titles with intense graphics or CPU usage. But simple tweaks can make a big difference to your bills,’ he continued. ‘For example, lowering your graphics settings reduces the strain on your system, which means it uses less power. For kids, setting time limits helps keep bills in check and gives them time for other, more outdoor or social activities. If gaming is a big part of your routine, consider switching to energy-efficient modes or exploring games that are less demanding on your hardware.’

Take a look at the Top 10 most energy-hungry video games on the market right now: 

Game Title Platform Power Consumption (average, Watts) Energy Usage (average, kWh) Estimated Monthly Energy Cost (GBP)
Cyberpunk 2077 PC 500 30 £7.46
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree PC 450 27 £6.71
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt PC 450 27 £6.71
Battlefield V PC 450 27 £6.71
Dragon’s Dogma 2 PC 400 24 £5.97
Granblue Fantasy: Relink PC 400 24 £5.97
Ultros PC 400 24 £5.97
Fortnite PC 400 24 £5.97
Helldivers 2 PC 350 21 £5.22
Persona 3 Reload Console 350 21 £5.22

More on energy and net zero:

Welsh Universities receive £20m loan funding to tackle emissions

Scottish Government believes UK renewables commitment could attract US energy firms

Landmark agreement to power Lincolnshire Battery Energy Storage System

Image: Lixxe via Pixabay

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