A classic saying claims that, "with great power comes great responsibility." It appears that Microsoft has not taken that too seriously with its XBox 360 console according to an investigation by Alpha, the CNET blog.
When the stories of overheating boxes first hit the press most gamers figured that the console's massive power brick was responsible. It turns out that the entire device is a power-hungry monster that consumes more than twice the amount of power that its predecessor did. The website tested the X360 console, using Extech's MA200 power meter, which gives real-time power consumption results. They discovered that the console draws out 160 Watts compared to the 74 needed by the original XBox and the 50 by PS2. The console was found to need more power than most living room electronics including the JVC RX-D702 A/V receiver, the Denon DVD-3910 DVD player, and a DirecTV HD TiVo. The only living room device that needs more power is a big screen HD TV which you, most probably, would be using with the console.
In practical terms the news is important because it gives you some perspective as to the dollar amount you will need to spend in order to keep your monster running. If you average four hours of gaming a day you will be consuming 233 kilowatt-hours per year which can cost you anything from USD 10 to USD 35 a year, depending on where you live (wow some areas really have expensive electricity).
This news, of course, is unlikely to interest most gamers who are not known for their environmental sensitivities but it's another interesting bit of information to come out today regarding the console, the other being the vast amount of hardware details released to XboxHacker.
