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The Environmental Impact of Video Games & How to Decarbonize the Industry
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Important: The recommendations presented in this data story are merely suggestions. They are not ready-to-use solutions that can be applied without a thorough evaluation of their advantages and disadvantages. Every organisation or individual aiming to reduce their carbon footprint must take into account various criteria and variables unique to their situation. This is why Greenly emphasises the need for expert guidance in the development of any environmental or low-carbon transition strategy.
Picture this: it’s the year 2006, and you’re on your way home from school to play your favorite Xbox, Wii, or GameCube after scrolling through MySpace and watching MTV for a couple of hours.
Before the widespread availability and accessibility of social media and the internet as a whole, times were simpler – screen time often included console video games in place of hours of mindless scrolling on Tik Tok.
However, as social media rose to prominence and smartphones came into the picture – opting for a game of Mario Kart or Wii Sports became less popular in exchange for Instagram, Snapchat, and more easily accessible online games.
Even though video games have taken a seat on the back burner, they aren’t an entirely lost art – with over 3.3 billion video gamers worldwide and with as high as 90% of Gen Z playing vidoe games with either a mobile or video game console.
In fact, as cell phone usage only becomes more prominent with time – the future of video games in combination with cloud computing, streaming services, and data storage centers can only grow more worrisome
That being said, the traditional gamer seeking to collect original hard copies of video games is also still alive despite its current decline – with 17% of video game sales, or $9.04 billion of the $53.2 billion in revenue for global game consoles, resulting from physical sales of video games.
However, what is most alarming is the dramatic increase in mobile game capital for the video game industry – with a whopping $44.16 billion going towards digital sales. As Gen Z is more likely to play video games on a mobile format as opposed to Millennials or Gen X – this trend is the most pivotal topic of discussion when it comes to the sustainable future of the video game industry.
In this data story, we will break down the past and future carbon footprint of the video game industry, which trends are most alarming in the midst of climate change, and what the video game industry can do to ensure its viability as the world hurdles towards the need for a greener lifestyle.
First off, we will break down the main types of video games and their past, current, and potential environmental and social impact as a prerequisite to the rest of this data story.
Different Types of Video Games & Their Environment & Social Impact
As video games can take many different forms, it is important to understand how each mode of video gaming works, their constraints, and the potential negative effects of each modality.
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Console Gaming
Console gaming requires a physical gaming system – such as PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo consoles. These continue to be popular, with the gaming console market having increased by 10 % in 2023 alone – with Sony’s PS5 remaining one of the most profitable video game consoles to date, helping to keep video game consoles relevant in 2025.
In fact, the pandemic helped to bring traditional video gaming back to the spotlight – with 22 million units sold during the Covid-19 pandemic alone.
Video game consoles require manufacturing and physical copies of video games to be played, which often requires the use of rare earth metals and plastics – such as copper, gold, lead, nickel, zinc, lithium, cobalt and cadmium. Extracting all of these materials requires high energy usage and can deplete already-finite water resources.
Furthermore, after developed – gaming consoles can consume copious amounts of energy, especially newer models with high-performance graphics, sound effects, and video game controls which all often operate wirelessly via WiFi or Bluetooth configuration. In fact, Microsoft estimates that the average, modern gaming console emits around 72 kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions every year.
The Sony Playstation 4 alone has resulted in 8.9 billion kg of CO₂e over the last decade – and as trends for sales for Sony’s Playstation 5 are set to exceed their PS4, the carbon impact of this video game console is expected to increase.
In addition to this, there is a unique social impact associated with physical video game consoles – as they serve as the basis for the video game world: having connected games around the world to develop a community.
However, some of the major downsides to video game consoles include:
- The need to frequently upgrade the software to ensure efficient multiplayer & online activity
- At Greenly – we calculated the electricity usage for US consoles, totalling to 3.9 TWh per year, which results in 1.6 million metric tons of CO2e. In addition to this, when we add in the electricity consumption of TVs, which are often used for gaming, it amounts to 6.5 TWh per year or a whopping 2.6 million metric tons of CO₂e.
- Contribute to e-waste every time a video console become obsolete and is thrown away
Cloud-Based Gaming
A modernised way to keep traditional video game consoles alive, cloud-based gaming operates via remote servers as opposed to using traditional hardware gaming systems – utilising streaming services for gamers.
While the benefits of cloud-based gaming eliminates excessive e-waste or the need to manufacture physical video game consoles or game copies in the first place, it does require greater energy consumption in order to connect to data centers to stream the game.
Oftentimes, these data centers aren’t powered by renewable energy, emit excessive carbon emissions – all internet pollution already accounts for 3.7% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
As the average gamer spends 7.6 hours per week gaming, at Greenly – we calculated how many emissions are created as a result of one hour of cloud based gaming, totaling at 0.44kg CO₂e per hour of cloud based gaming.
Ultimately, this form of gaming demands a strong internet connection and stable data infrastructure – making this form of video gaming less popular in regions with little to no access to viable connectivity and more popular in countries with consumerism culture intact.
Mobile Gaming
Mobile gaming, arguably the fastest growing form of video gaming, refers to games that occur on smartphones, tablets, and laptops – such as Ballon Darts or World of Warcraft. Usually, mobile is much less carbon intensive as opposed to traditional console video gaming or even cloud-based gaming as they aren’t being played or projected on large screens, stereos, or require additional power to use game controllers.
As of 2023, there are 2.9 billion mobile gamers in the world – as popular short-term game apps such as Candy Crush or Angry Birds are easily accessible and can be played for a few minutes to pass the time.
Mobile gaming has accumulated a whopping $159 billion dollars in revenue, with more growth expected in the coming years as smartphones take precedence over gaming consoles.
However, some of the drawbacks to mobile gaming include:
- Unable to play multiplayer or share a larger screen with friends or other gamers
- Need to update apps to play games or pay a subscription fee as opposed to buying a video game console and physical game copies of choice
- Resource-intensive gaming apps could cause phone batteries and other mechanical parts of smartphones to deteriorate quicker as their main function is not to be used for gaming
- Potential data privacy issues as gamers might need to accept cookies and third-party users to gain access to the gaming app
- Raises concerns about increased screen time and the potential effects on mental health due to disrupted sleep, poor eating habits, or perpetuated loneliness
This all being said, mobile gaming does offer greater inclusivity – as online games that don’t require a game console or a physical game copy allow for a more diverse, global community for the game.
Breakdown: How Video Games Are Bad for the Planet
There are a multitude of reasons why video games create a profound impact on the planet – such as by exacerbating consumerism, deteriorating mental health, and the impact of the life cycle of physical video game consoles and copies.
Here’s a breakdown of the different environmental impacts created by video games:
Production, Usage & Disposal of Video Games
One of the main ways video games impact the environment is through the emissions created over the course of their life cycle.
Manufacturing & Packaging
Traditional video game consoles require mining raw materials and metals in addition to the use of highly-processed plastics to create the finished product. In addition to this, physical copies of video games themselves require extensive use of plastic for the case and the product’s packaging.
The table below will provide a glimpse on the impact of various video games:
| Type | Sub-type / Platform | Low | Intermediate | High | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disc format, on a console/laptop/desktop and a TV, online | 0.008639846743 | 0.02277777778 | 0.03455938697 | ADEME study | |
| Downloaded on a console/laptop/desktop and a TV, online | 0.008639846743 | 0.02277777778 | 0.03455938697 | ADEME study | |
| Cloud gaming on a TV with an online TV box or console - average | 1.375 | 3.625 | 5.5 | ADEME study | |
| Cloud gaming - Stadia (Google) | 11.11111111 | Minimum required flow |
| Game | Data Usage Per Hour (MB/h) | Data usage (Mb/s) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) | 80 | 0.1777777778 | Source |
| Fortnite | 100 | 0.2222222222 | Source |
| Apex Legends | 120 | 0.2666666667 | Source |
| Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | 250 | 0.5555555556 | Source |
Here’s a breakdown of how the carbon impact of the production of video game consoles, disks, cartridges, controllers, and their packaging:
- Video Game Consoles – Perhaps the most carbon intensive part of creating video games, consoles require morning rare-earth materials and highly-processed plastics. Furthermore, the e-waste created from disposing video game consoles is intense – as the average PS4 contains around 54 elements that could prove harmful to our groundwater resources and ultimately impact human & wildlife health. As over 40,000 PlayStations were sold daily in 2023 alone, this means that the amount of health-hazadours substances has been emitted at an exponential rate as a result of e-waste from video game consoles alone.
- Cartridges & Disks for Games – Ultimately, sales for copies of physical games continue to be prominent despite the shift to mobile gaming – with at least ⅓ of major video game titles being sold on a hard disk to be used on an at-home console. As the global gaming revenue was $184.4 billion in 2022 and 5.8% of sales were for physical game copies – this means that around $10.7 billion revenue was generated from physical games in 2022. Presuming the average price for a new, physical copy of a video game in the United States is around $50, this means that around 214 million copies were sold in a single year – resulting in insurmountable plastic waste.
- Game Controllers – Game controllers also require plastics and metals to undergo an energy intensive process to be manufactured. The mining required for these materials alone can emit harmful chemicals into our atmosphere. Knowing that the weight of a PS4 controller is around 7.4 ounces (0.21 kg) and that over 116 million PS4 consoles have been sold worldwide means that PS4 game controllers are responsible for tens of thousands metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.
- nVideo Game Packaging – Often negating the idea of sustainable packaging, video game disks or cartridges often come on a plastic case in single-use shrink wrap. This perpetuates the ongoing issue with plastic packaging that cannot be reused or recycled.
Transportation & Energy Usage Phase
As freight transportation via planes, trucks, ships, and more takes up a staggering 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions – shipping video games, consoles, controllers, and other gaming accessories worldwide contributes to this total.
The energy usage from video games is one of the most concerning aspects for the future of the gaming industry. According to a study conducted by researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, worldwide gaming produces the same amount of energy as 5 million cars.
In addition to this, significant energy is used for internet and cloud-based technology for mobile and cloud-based gaming. For instance, the University of California found US gamers use 2.4% of their household electricity – which is more electricity than high-energy consuming household appliances.
| Game | Data Usage Per Hour (MB/h) | Data Usage (Mb/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Fortnite | 100 | 0.222 |
| Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | 250 | 0.556 |
| World of Warcraft | 40 | 0.089 |
| Final Fantasy XIV | 20 | 0.044 |
| League of Legends | 50 | 0.111 |
| Hearthstone | 3 | 0.007 |
| GTA V Online | 60 | 0.133 |
| Rocket League | 40 | 0.089 |
| Minecraft | 80 | 0.178 |
Furthermore, cloud gaming requires the use of data centers – which utilise 2% of electricity use in the United States alone. From the same study from researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, it was revealed that video game players in the United States alone produce a whopping 24 megatonnes of carbon dioxide every year. Now, imagine data centers around the world working to help project cloud-based gaming on T.V. screens across the globe.
As a whole, streaming games ultimately uses more energy – as the work to connect to servers, display images, and even project sound effects requires remote activity as opposed to relying on a console’s machinery. Think in the same vein of streaming a show on Netflix as opposed to
They also showed that streaming games uses more energy, so gaming carbon emissions may worsen as more people adopt games where the computational work is being done remotely rather than on individual consoles, such as with devices like Google’s Stadia.
Here is a breakdown of how emissions from gaming may differ depending on the gamer’s modality:
- Difference between gaming on a PC, Mac, or Smartphone
- Displays, TVs, and monitors
- Different types of gaming systems: Xbox, Play Station, Nintendo Switch
- Online games such as balloon darts, club penguin, WoWC, etc.
- Video game usage 20 years ago in comparison to today with smartphones
- Transition to cloud-based gaming services
The table below will compare the carbon impact of downloaded gaming and cloud-based gaming both online and offline, which represent figures we calculated in-house at Greenly.
The results below include emissions linked to:
- Downloaded files
- Transferred data
- Electricity consumption of users terminals
- Amortised manufacturing impact of users terminals
- Datacenters electricity consumption
- Servers amortisation
| Device / Gaming Type | Downloaded Game (Offline - Disc/Cartridge) | Downloaded Game (Online - Digital Download) | Cloud Gaming (Offline) | Cloud Gaming (Online) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smartphone | 14.95 kgCO₂e | 16.25 kgCO₂e | 31.11 kgCO₂e | 88.54 kgCO₂e |
| Laptop | 29.63 kgCO₂e | 30.94 kgCO₂e | 39.84 kgCO₂e | 97.27 kgCO₂e |
| Desktop + Monitor | 107.63 kgCO₂e | 108.98 kgCO₂e | 77.84 kgCO₂e | 135.27 kgCO₂e |
| Home Console + TV | 219.67 kgCO₂e | 220.97 kgCO₂e | 116.55 kgCO₂e | 173.98 kgCO₂e |
E-Waste from Video Games
The world doesn’t recycle nearly as much electronics as we should, and that includes video game consoles, cartridges, controllers, and other gaming accessories. For instance, only 22.3% of e-waste was recycled in 2022 – meaning that large amounts of old gaming equipment go to landfills and emit toxic chemicals into the air.
Therefore, the e-waste created from video games not only has an impact on the environment – but can compromise our air quality, our health, and the wildlife in our surrounding ecosystems.
Need to Upgrade & Obsolescence Culture in Technology
In a similar vein to how cell phones and laptops have been made for planned obsolescence in recent years, meaning that large name technology brands manufacture, market, and sell their devices to become obsolete within a short period of time – requiring customers to buy new devices earlier than expected.
Countries where consumerism culture is most evident, are also the countries where gaming is most common – such as in the United States, China, South Korea, and Scandinavian countries. This makes planned obsolescence more successful, as games residing in these regions will have easy access to new gaming consoles – and have the desire to upgrade them regardless of obsolescence.
ADEME and Arcep carried out a study in 2022 to depict the lifespan of user terminals – as shown in the the table below:
| Equipment | Lifespan | Usage Intensity | Electricity Consumption |
|---|---|---|---|
| TV Box | 5 years | 2.86 h/day (Equivalent to Television) | 73.00 kWh/year |
| Hi-Fi System | 5 years | 0.72 h/day (ICT Impact study) | 0.06 kW |
| Game Console | 6.5 years | 0.93 h/day (ADEME-Arcep 2022) | 55.88 kWh/year |
| Computer Monitor | 6 years | 2.42 h/day (Equivalent to Computer) | 39.85 kWh/year |
| Smart Speaker | 5 years | 0.56 h/day (Estimated from Arcep 2021) | 23.00 kWh/year |
| DVD Player | 8 years | 0.20 h/day (Estimated from nscreenmedia) | 0.009 kW |
| E-Reader | 5 years | (Confidential) Rakuten Kobo | (Confidential) Rakuten Kobo |
| Desktop Computer | 5 years | 2.42 h/day (Equivalent to Laptop) | 146 kWh/year |
| Laptop | 5 years | 2.42 h/day (Estimated from Arcep 2021) | 22.19 kWh/year |
| Gaming Laptop | 5 years | 2.42 h/day (Equivalent to Laptop) | 29.10 kWh/year |
| Smartphone | 2.5 years | 1.62 h/day (Estimated from Médiamétrie) | 4.10 kWh/year |
| Tablet | 3 years | 0.39 h/day (Estimated from Arcep 2021) | 18.60 kWh/year |
| Dedicated E-Reader Tablet | 3 years | 4.44 books/year (Equivalent to E-Reader) | 0.13 kW |
| Television | 8 years | 2.86 h/day (Estimated from Arcep 2021) | 127.63 kWh/year |
Furthermore, the current future of designing new video game consoles is concerning – as more modernised consoles are employing the use of tinier chips which in turn utilise more energy. In addition to this, manufacturing these chips themselves require copious amounts of electricity – and then need to be shipped to the final production warehouse to be added to the video game consoles themselves.
“ [in regards to the carbon footprint of new gaming consoles]... kind of invisible to the average consumer, but actually has a really big carbon footprint that we’re all a part of. – (Global Climate Campaigns Director for Stand.Earth, Gary Cook). ”
Changes in the Video Game Industry
In light of the changing video game industry and its growing carbon impact, here are some other areas that are worthy of discussion:
Slowed-down sales in stores
Back in the day, the only way to acquire a new game was to go to an in-person store and pick up a physical copy of a new video game.
In 2009, GameStop was on top of the world – with $215.9 million in net earnings and with sales increasing in the final quarter by 0.9% to $3.52 billion. However, the infamous gaming store has taken a hit in the midst of cloud-based gaming – with the CEO of GameStop explaining that the company will need to reduce in-store operations to mitigate an unnecessary financial crisis for the business. This will include announcing layoffs and reducing in-store operations across the United States, as the CEO admits that sales are dropping – meaning that maintaining in-store operations will elicit GameStop to exist in negative cash flow.
As GameStop’s original mission was to sell physical copies of video games, the business is facing extinction as digital game downloads and online gaming platforms continue to become the preferred platform.
In a sense, GameStop is currently facing the same issue that Blockbuster experienced in the 2010s – where digital streaming services took off and reduced the demand to rent physical video tapes or DVDs.
Video game streaming
In addition to a stark increase in cloud-based gaming, more gamers are referring to video game influencers online for game walkthroughs and commentary – in the same way that beauty influencers may provide a makeup tutorial or reviews on cosmetic brands and items.
In fact, Gen Z is just as likely to watch other people play games in comparison to playing their own – with 52% of Gen Z bound to stream gaming influencers in comparison to 47% of Millennials and 37% of Gen X.
Even if Gen Z is more likely to put on a video game streaming, Millennials are more likely to watch it for an extended period of time in comparison to younger generations – with 48% of millennials spending over an hour streaming a player’s video game whereas only ⅓ of Gen Z is bound to watch a video game stream for over an hour.
Ultimately, the increase in video game streaming could contribute to the increase in carbon emissions created on behalf of the video game industry.
How Can Video Companies Go Green?
Video game companies can make the effort to go green, and have already alluded to their desire to do so – such as a 90s classic, Sonic’s Awesome Possum.
In this game, Sonic depicted the importance of freeing animals and final fantasy fighting against eco terrorists – demonstrating that video games can have just as much media sway as social media, movies, and music, with an audience of over 3 billion people.
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Another well-known video games which have played a role in environmentalist messaging is
Final Fantasy VII, where the 2020 remake of the game further implies our over reliance on fossil fuels.
As a whole, video games have already served as a platform to demonstrate the need to act in accordance with climate change – but ironically, video game consoles and companies alike have yet to take the drastic action necessary to reduce the industry’s current environmental impact.
“ Are things happening at the pace of change that they need to be? …No, absolutely not. Things need to be moving quite a bit quicker. – (Co-Director of the Climate and Energy Team at the Breakthrough Institute, Seaver Wang discussing the current carbon impact of video games). ”
Ideas to Reduce Emissions in the Video Game Industry:
Luckily, there’s a lot that can be done – both big and small, to reduce the current impact of the gaming industry.
Here are some of the ways that video game companies can kick-start their sustainability journey:
- Trade-In Services – Many big-name technology companies, such as Apple, offer users the opportunity to trade in their old iPhone or Macbook in exchange for a reduced price on a newer model. These traded in models can then be disassembled, and the used parts can be used to manufacture refurbished devices. Video game companies such as Sony and Nintendo could strive to do the same.
- Reduce Production & Transportation Emissions – Since 89 kg (around 196 lbs) of carbon is emitted each time a PlayStation 4 is made and sent off to its destination, manufacturers should strive to evaluate their current supply chain and conduct a lifecycle assessment, in addition to choosing the most carbon-efficient modes of transportation – something Greenly can help with.
- Develop New & Eco-Friendly Design – Simple, automatic features such as inputting default settings for video game consoles to reduce electricity consumption when not in use could help gamers to reduce their current carbon footprint. This responsibility bears on both manufacturers and video game designers, and may require further research and effort to develop effective tactics – but could help the industry reduce its impact long-term.
This has already been proved possible with Microsoft’s All Digital X-Box Series, as it is one of the most eco-friendly products on the market for gaming – with energy-saving power and being partly manufactured by recycled materials, helping to cut back on 95% of electricity consumption when not in use.
“ Over time, this can have a real impact on the ways in which consumers experience their devices through their power bills. – (Director of Sustainability for Xbox, Trista Patterson). ”
Furthermore, developers at Epic Games helped to devise eco-friendly adjustment for the well-known game Fortnite – which includes reducing the resolution and active lobby room waiting-time when a user has been inactive for too long. This revision allows gamers playing Fortnite to save a combined 200 MWh each day – equal to 73 GWh per year.
Additional ideas for the industry to reduce its current impact include:
- Re-Purpose In-Person Video Game Stores – In the same way the thrift shopping has taken off, second-hand video game trading could – especially if already-existing game stores such as GameStop expanding their current set-up to allow for more second-hand sales or trading games with friends. Weekly events, in the same way that bookstores set up swap-and-shop gatherings, could even re-ignite excitement for physical video games and help GameStop to stay relevant in a changing industry.
- Recruit Video Game Influencers – In the same way that beauty influencers can have sway over what clothes and cosmetics young people purchase, video gamers with a substantial following could provoke nostalgic to their viewers on the old days of video gaming – such as by encouraging them to order already-used physical copies instead of unboxed or new video games. Video game influencers could also educate their subscribers on the pros and cons of cloud-based gaming, and how less plastic and e-waste from physical copies could be a good thing.
- Offer Gamers Discounts for Going Green – Video game companies should take the guesswork out of players needing to determine the carbon impact of their own game, such as by alerting users when a game download or console software update is about to consume large amounts of electricity – or offering them a discount for purchasing second-hand games or download lower-carbon impact games. This can encourage users to decide if a digital download or physical game copy is the more environmental choice, and possibly incentivise users to transition to digital platforms sooner – as physical copies cause the most damage to the environment with their manufacturing and need to dispose of them if not resold to other gamers.
Potential Challenges in Reducing the Carbon Impact of Video Gaming
According to our own in-house study at Greenly, the average electricity consumption for the average gamer amounts to 81 kWh. This number varies depending on how they are gaming, such as with more advanced desktop games or consoles, of which are becoming more popular in our modernised society.
However, not even the most energy efficient video game consoles may be able to mitigate this – as a major contributor to carbon emissions in video games come from how clean local energy grids are. For instance, certain states such as Vermont generate large amounts of electricity from renewable sources – whereas gamers in the state of Mississippi are only able to access under 3% of electricity from renewable energy sources.
Therefore, games won’t always have the ability to be in control of their carbon footprint – but there are still lots of things that can be done.
What can gamers do to reduce the environmental impact of their video gaming?
In addition to a more energy efficient game console design, gamers themselves can help to reduce emissions created by the industry.
Here are some ways in which gamers can help to reduce their carbon footprint:
- Reducing Screen Time – In the same way young generations today are making an effort to stay off of social media, gamers can make an effort to cut back on their screen time – which would ultimately reduce energy consumption and the impact created by streaming.
- Energy Mindfulness – Gamers who remember to switch off their computers or gaming consoles when not in use can help avoid the emissions created from passive electricity consumption.
- Go Digital – Ultimately, albeit the carbon impact of streaming – opting to buy digital games instead of physical copies can help to reduce the environmental impact created by e-waste.
- Refrain From Upgrades – Although often tempting, gamers can reduce their impact by only upgrading to a new console when absolutely necessary – as the e-waste created from gaming consoles is substantial.
- Stick to the Basics – Gamres can cut back on emissions by avoiding unnecessary accessories and extras, such as surround sound systems, headsets, additional controllers, or extra bluetooth features.
Overall, in a sense – this trend has already begun, as Gen Z less likely to spend money on games. This is a bright side – but the gaming industry doesn’t deserve to die completely.
What About Greenly?
If reading this data story on the environmental impact of video gaming has inspired you to consider your company’s own carbon footprint, Greenly can help.
At Greenly we can help you to assess your company’s carbon footprint, and then give you the tools you need to cut down on emissions. We offer a free demo for you to better understand our platform and all that it has to offer – including assistance on how to reduce emissions, optimise energy efficiency, and more to help you get started on your climate journey.
Learn more about Greenly’s carbon management platform here.
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