Microsoft may add energy-saving performance settings to Xbox and PC games

Microsoft is taking the ongoing energy crisis very seriously. In addition to the recently introduced UI revamp on the power settings menu, Microsoft is seemingly working on power-saving modes to reduce energy consumption while gaming by sacrificing graphics quality.

As reported by WindowsCentral, Microsoft is holding a survey for Xbox Insider Program members to evaluate how users would feel about sacrificing resolution and frame rates to reduce power consumption. Considering the nature of the questions, Microsoft looks to be planning to add some kind of power-saving mode, but it may never come to fruition. Still, Microsoft has been working hard to reduce its carbon footprint, so there's a good chance that something will come out of this survey.

The questions seem geared to help Microsoft understand if customers are refraining from gaming in an effort to reduce power bills. The survey also asks how long entrants play each week, whether they're interested in more power-saving features while gaming and when the system is idle. Moreover, they also ask users if they would prefer these features to be named “eco-saving” or “energy-saving” and if the lack of such features would affect the decision to buy a game.

To reduce power consumption while gaming on Xbox consoles and Windows systems, Microsoft plans to change settings like resolution, frame rate and visual effects. Reducing these options would reduce CPU and GPU usage and, therefore, power consumption. Unfortunately, it's hard to tell how much power you could save by lowering the frame rate from 60FPS to 30FPS.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: Would you like to see Microsoft adding more energy-saving features to Windows PCs and Xbox consoles? Would you use them?

Become a Patron!