Is a games console cheaper to run than a gaming PC?

Yes, roughly by half, because a console is a fixed design tuned for one power budget.

At the default usage on each page, gaming PC costs about 3.0× as much to run as game console — $107 against $36.15 a year.

Why game console wins, and when it does not

• A current console draws about 180 W while gaming; a mid-range gaming PC draws 300–450 W and a high-end build considerably more.
• The PC also drives a separate monitor and usually more peripherals, none of which the console figure includes.
• Console standby is the hidden cost: rest modes that keep the network alive can draw 10–15 W around the clock.

What the difference is worth where you live

The 3.0× above holds at any price: both a game console and a gaming PC scale with whatever you pay per kilowatt-hour. The money does not. Choosing game console over gaming PC saves about $70.96 a year at the U.S. average, and $204 a year in Hawaii at 52.72¢ — against $50.72 in Nevada, the cheapest jurisdiction in the country. Swapping gaming PC for game console is worth 4.0× as much in Hawaii as in Nevada, so what you pay per kilowatt-hour decides this more than the wattage on either label.

Both figures use each appliance’s typical wattage and default usage at the U.S. average of 18.34¢ per kilowatt-hour, and exclude fixed charges, taxes and time-of-use rates. Change the wattage, usage or state on either appliance’s own page to compare them on your terms, or read how to check a running-cost figure before trusting any of them.