But it also uses that power more efficiently than any other console out there. Fresh gaming site DX Gaming runs an interesting article on power consumption of game consoles, conveniently summarized at Joystiq. Turns out the 360 is over 20 times more expensive to operate than the original PlayStation, but also delivers by far the most crunch per cent.

The extensive comparisons include 6 consoles released over the last few years: Xbox, Xbox 360, PS1, PS2, Dreamcast and Gamecube. First up is power leakage in standby mode, where Xbox 360 and PS2 are the bad boys in town eating up over $2 of electricity per year. As is correctly pointed out though the Xbox 360 has a very valid excuse for this:

While both consoles need to power their internal clocks, they also need to keep their IR ports constants scanning for remote controls trying to power on the console explaining the added power requirements. The Xbox 360 also has to keep its internal wireless card active otherwise it wouldn’t notice when a controller is sending a request for the machine to turn on. So while both machines require the most power, the Xbox 360 has the most components that need to remain powered in standby making the energy leakage a little more acceptable.

Needs to be said ofcourse that wireless machinery is known to be power intensive, so I think the calculated $2.63 is already highly efficient. Next up are the idle figures, measured while the consoles aren’t doing anything except waiting eagerly to run a game. This is where the 360 starts to hurt your wallet, eating a whopping 145W, whereas the PS1 eat 4W, the Xbox1 61W and the other consoles come in at around 20W. Honestly, while idling in the dashboard the 360 could be spending its time a tad more efficient indeed.

The real beef is ofcourse where the games are, so that’s what they tested next (click for figures). The next-gen power of the 360 obviously eats by far the most oomph from your power outlet, but do keep in mind it’s the only next-gen measurable so far:

As you’d expect the Xbox 360 is the biggest energy hog of the group requiring roughly 165W to play a game. Now we don’t want to judge too harshly as it’s the only next-gen console in our tests, but reguardless that is a considerable amount of energy. We forecast the Playstation 3 will easily surpass 100W perhaps even besting the 360 while the Wii will have the lowest energy requirements perhaps even staying below 100W. We’ll know by the end of the year.

To put things in perspective: consider the average gaming PC nowadays requires 250~400W while running a heavy duty game. 165W is actually really friendly to your wallet.

Finally, the guys add all costs up to see how much you pay each year simply to operate your consoles and how energy efficient they are based on their respective specs. As mentioned, 360 is the most expensive to operate, but the most efficient one at that too. As the saying goes: “power comes at a price.”