Microsoft wants to help owners of Xbox consoles lessen their environmental impact while still allowing them to stay focused on their passion. In the past, the company has brought up its goal of being a carbon-negative, water-positive, and zero-waste company — an objective they hope to accomplish by the year 2030.
While taking steps toward making this target a reality, Microsoft has announced an Xbox Series X/S update that aims to make the new generation consoles “carbon-aware.” This isn’t the first time this has happened since Windows 11 got an update as well that helps make PCs more carbon-aware, but it is the first time a console will be receiving this update treatment.
The announcement of the update came from the official Xbox Twitter page earlier today with the news that the Xbox Series X/S will become “the first game consoles to offer carbon-aware game downloads and updates.” More information about the update was shared on the official Xbox website. The update, which is currently available for Xbox Insiders, will help make your Xbox more eco-friendly by scheduling updates during low carbon emission times for your energy grid. This means that your console will wake up and perform these functions during the time it senses the most renewable energy in your power grid. “This decreases fossil fuel dependency and CO2 emissions, and could potentially save you money,” according to Microsoft.
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Once the update has been installed, your console will automatically be switched to the Shutdown (energy-saving) power option to help reduce energy usage when your console is turned off. Another option that will be available is “Active Hours,” which will allow you to set specific times that your Xbox will be in sleep mode. During this time, you will be able to use the remote wake option.
Once your Xbox’s active hours are done, the console will automatically shut down to save electricity. While this update will take some getting used to, it is nice to see a company taking the initiative to help cut back on carbon emissions. More information about the update could very well come during the Xbox direct happening later this month.
