A modern PS5 typically draws around 214–217 watts while actively playing PS5 games, according to Sony’s own 2026 energy-efficiency testing. That means one hour of gaming uses roughly 0.214–0.217 kWh of electricity.
The important correction is units: a console draws watts (W) of power. Over time, the energy you pay for is measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh).
| PS5 activity (2026 CFI-21 models) | Typical Sony test result | Energy for 1 hour |
|---|---|---|
| PS5 gaming | About 214–217W | About 0.214–0.217kWh |
| Home menu | About 43–47W | About 0.043–0.047kWh |
| Low-power Rest Mode (digital) | 0.30W | 0.0003kWh |
| Rest Mode with all tested features enabled (digital) | 4.71W | 0.00471kWh |
Sony tested its current CFI-21 hardware in May 2026 using games including Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Demon’s Souls and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7.
See PlayStation’s current energy-efficiency measurements.
How much electricity does one hour of PS5 gaming use?
Take the power draw in watts, divide by 1000, then multiply by hours.
215 W ÷ 1000 × 1 hour = 0.215 kWh
For three hours:
215 W ÷ 1000 × 3 hours = 0.645 kWh
How much does that cost?
Multiply the kWh by your electricity tariff.
If electricity costs 30 cents per kWh:
0.215 kWh × $0.30 = $0.0645
So one hour of gaming at 215W would cost about 6.5 cents at that example tariff.
Your real cost depends entirely on your local electricity price.
Digital vs disc PS5 power consumption
Sony’s May 2026 CFI-21 tests show remarkably similar active-gaming results:
- CFI-21 digital: 215.7W average in HD tests and 217.19W in UHD tests.
- CFI-21 with disc drive attached: 214.0W in HD and 213.25W in UHD.
Those differences are small enough that you should not choose between disc and digital models based on gaming electricity use.
The disc drive matters during movie playback
Sony lists the current disc-equipped CFI-21 at roughly 50W for DVD/Blu-ray playback and about 59W for 4K Blu-ray playback.
That is still much less than demanding PS5 gameplay.
Rest Mode can be extremely efficient
The default low-power Rest Mode on Sony’s tested CFI-21 digital model uses just 0.30W.
Enabling background features changes that:
- USB power: around 4.65W;
- stay connected to the internet: around 0.84W;
- all tested Rest Mode features: around 4.71W.
If you leave the console in Rest Mode for long periods, the enabled features matter much more than whether the console is disc or digital.
Why your PS5 may not match Sony’s number
Power draw varies with:
- the exact PS5 hardware revision;
- the game and scene being rendered;
- whether you are running a PS4 or PS5 title;
- disc-drive activity;
- USB accessories and charging;
- system updates/downloads; and
- menu versus gameplay time.
Sony’s numbers are controlled test averages, not a promise that every game sits at exactly 215W.
How to measure your own PS5
Use a plug-in energy meter between the console and wall outlet. That gives you the actual power draw of your exact console during your games and can accumulate kWh over a session.
Do not include the TV or monitor unless you specifically want the energy cost of the entire gaming setup. For comparison, see our guides to gaming monitor power consumption and gaming PC power use.
How to reduce PS5 electricity use
- Use the console’s automatic power-down settings.
- Disable Rest Mode features you do not need.
- Turn the console fully off when it will not be used for a long period.
- Use a streaming device or smart TV for video if it consumes substantially less power than the PS5.
- Measure your actual setup before spending money trying to “optimize” small differences.
Quick answer
A current PS5 uses roughly 0.21–0.22 kWh for an hour of active PS5 gaming in Sony’s 2026 testing. The home menu uses much less, and low-power Rest Mode can fall to around 0.30W. Multiply your kWh by your electricity rate to calculate the actual cost.
