The Power Behind Play: How Much Energy It Takes to Game in 2026

From daily quests to weekend marathons, gaming is part of everyday life for millions of Americans. But as playtime adds up, so can the electric bill. To understand how gaming habits connect to household energy use, Payless Power surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults who play video games about their weekly playtime, platform preferences, and electricity costs. See how much power it really takes to keep the game going in 2026.

Key Takeaways

• 54% of U.S. gamers play every single day, and the average gamer logs 13.6 hours a week.

• Nintendo Switch users report the highest electricity bills of any platform at $166/month, more than PlayStation ($159) and gaming PC ($154) users.

• PlayStation users spend $72 more per year on electricity than Xbox users ($1,908 vs. $1,836).

• Gaming setups sit idle for an average of 8.1 hours a day. Baldur’s Gate 3 players report the longest standby time at 9.1 hours, more than twice the 3.8 hours among Call of Duty players.

• 25% of gamers leave their setup running often or very often to download while away or asleep, with Grand Theft Auto V players most likely to do so (39%).

• More than 1 in 5 gamers (22%) would pay a premium for certified, energy-efficient hardware, with PlayStation users the most likely to do so (27%).

Console Wars Meet Power Bills

• Gamers spend an average of 13.6 hours per week playing video games, with 54% playing every day.

• Nintendo Switch users report the highest electricity bills of any platform — averaging $166/month ($1,992/year), more than PlayStation ($159), gaming PC ($154), and even gaming laptop ($128) users.

• PlayStation users spend $72 more per year on electricity than Xbox users ($1,908 vs. $1,836).

• Call of Duty is the most commonly played game among gamers, and its players report $175/month ($2,100/year) in household electricity bills.

• 62% of gamers use their setup to stream video when not gaming, and 26% say it’s their primary streaming device.

The Hidden Cost of Standby Mode

• aldur’s Gate 3 players leave their setups running the longest of any top game community, averaging 9.1 hours a day in standby, more than twice the 3.8 hours among Call of Duty players.

• Grand Theft Auto V players are the most likely to leave their setup on overnight to download updates: 39% do it often or very often, well above the 25% overall average.

• 61% of gamers sometimes leave their setup running while asleep or away from home to download games and updates.

• 22% of gamers would pay a premium for energy-efficient hardware, and PlayStation users are the most willing at 27%.

• 51% of gamers would change their energy habits if they knew what their setup was actually costing them.

Methodology

This study was conducted by Payless Power via a survey of 1,000 U.S. adults who play video games. The survey was fielded on February 18–19, 2026. By generation, respondents include millennials (55%), Gen Z (27%), Gen X (16%), and baby boomers (1%). All electricity bill figures are self-reported household averages and do not represent gaming-only costs. For numeric input questions, outliers were removed using the interquartile range (IQR) method before calculating averages. Game and platform subgroup findings are based on a minimum sample size of 50 respondents.

About Payless Power

Payless Power provides affordable, flexible electricity plans to Texas residents, including prepaid and no-deposit options designed for renters and customers building credit. With easy sign-up, transparent pricing, and tools to help monitor daily energy use, Payless Power makes it simple to stay in control of your electricity costs, whether you’re powering a gaming setup or an entire household.

Fair Use Statement

The information in this article may be used for noncommercial purposes only. If shared, please provide proper attribution and include a link back to Payless Power.

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