Save money on your Xbox without even having to do anything. With this setting on your console, you save while you sleep.
Would we be true Dutchmen if saving money wasn’t in our DNA? Of course not! And the same goes for saving money with gaming. Microsoft has been busy lately getting their affairs around sustainability right, and you can benefit from that.
Because as cool as gaming on the Xbox is, the costs can add up. Controller here, new game there. Especially if you also have the Xbox Game Pass. Sure, you get a lot in return, but any extras you can save are a nice bonus. At least with this other trick, you’re already well on your way.
This trick on the Xbox lets you save money
Those who had hoped for secret discount codes have to be disappointed. But, with this trick you will still save money. You see, Microsoft has rolled out a series of updates that focus on sustainability and energy conservation.
Microsoft, in fact, wants to reduce their users’ carbon footprint. They are going to do this by prioritizing the use of renewable energy over polluting energy. As a gamer, what do you notice about that? Pretty little, fortunately.
(Image: Eugene Chystiakov)
It means that as long as your Xbox is connected to the Internet, Microsoft will monitor for you when is the most favorable time to update your console or your favorite games. Often this is at night, when the power grid is less stressed.
How do you set this option to save money?
This update to your Xbox will automatically update the console and will automatically check the power saving setting. It’s going to make the console’s well-known “idle mode” as much as twenty times more durable.
And so you’re going to notice that on your energy bill. The Xbox will guzzle less power. To activate this idle mode, press the Xbox button to open a menu. Navigate to Profile and System > Settings > General > Power Management. Then choose the Exit (power saving) option.
Xbox One S (Image: Louis Philippe Poitras / Unsplash)
From now on, the console will be shut down almost completely. Still, it remains active just enough to thus perform updates at convenient times.
The only drawback you will notice is that the console will now take a little longer to reboot. According to Microsoft, this should take no longer than 45 seconds.
