The next generation PlayStation console will be able to consume far less power in standby mode than the PS4. The power-saving feature appears to be an optional setting however, not the default. The news comes via a blog post titled PlayStation Joins Forces with the United Nations to Combat Climate Change.

”I am also very pleased to announce the next generation PlayStation console will include the possibility to suspend gameplay with much lower power consumption than PS4 (which we estimate can be achieved at around 0.5 W),” writes Jim Ryan, President and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment. “If just one million users enable this feature, it would save equivalent to the average electricity use of 1,000 US homes.”

Both the PlayStation and Xbox consoles have been criticized for their high-levels of power consumption while idling. A 2014 report from the Natural Resources Defense Council showed the PS4 drawing as much as 8.5 watts in standby. That’s compared to about 137 watts when playing games or 89 watts when streaming video, the study concluded. Sony has improved the energy profile of the PS4 over time. Nevertheless, reducing standby power draw to just half a watt would be a significant improvement that could have real impact. Especially if the so-called PS5 comes anywhere close to the 100 million PS4s that have sold worldwide to date.

But only if people activate the feature.

https://www.theverge.com/2019/9/23/20879422/playstation-5-standy-power-usage