When connecting a machine with powerful hardware like the PS5, it is wise to be concerned about how much power it actually requires. Because you don't want your upgraded gaming machine to upgrade your electricity bill as well.

The good news is that you really don't need to worry: it turns out that the PS5 doesn't consume as much power as its predecessor, the PS4 Pro. [This news comes from Eurogamer, who tested the PS5 as part of their review process and found that the PS5 consumes only 1.5W in rest mode with the network turned off. This compares to the 5W of power the PS4 Pro required to keep it running.

Downloading a game while in rest mode increased power consumption to 36W (compared to 50W), while jumping to the console's homepage without doing anything required 47W (compared to 63W). Gameplay varied somewhat, with Eurogamer reporting that "Rise of the Tomb Raider" (30fps) required 107W of power at peak, while "Knack" (locked at 60fps) required 135W at peak; on PS4 Pro, 147W and 148W were required. Peak power consumption for "Spider-Man: Miles Morales" was 203W, but since the PS4 version is not yet available, these numbers cannot be compared. [Last month it was reported that the Xbox Series X required 128W of power to play Red Dead Redemption 2, a previous generation game like Rise of the Tomb Raider. The Series X also consumed 28W in sleep mode and 50W in the main menu. Unfortunately, no next-generation titles were available for the Xbox Series X at the time, so no figures were available for comparison.

The power tests were conducted by two different sites under different conditions, so both cannot be taken as the absolute truth. However, both the PS5 and the Xbox Series X appear to require similar power. Of course, we need to wait for a more detailed side-by-side analysis to be absolutely certain.

In the meantime, one can be content with the knowledge that there are special bonuses to upgrading from PS4 Pro to PS5. And whichever new console you choose, you will not be left with a hefty bill.