Microsoft has introduced a change to the Xbox. However, not everyone is thrilled about it. Some US politicians fear that people would be stripped of their beloved console. What is behind the outrage and what kind of change is it?
Users should be given the option to reduce the energy consumption of the Xbox and thus decrease the CO2 emissions from gaming. Recommended settings for your Xbox can also be found on MeinMMO.
This change was presented in the context of the company’s “Zero Waste” policy. By 2030, Microsoft aims to emit no additional emissions into the atmosphere.
This small adjustment may initially sound unremarkable, but it outrages many politicians and users.
Changes outrage politicians, yet they are voluntary
What kind of feature is this? Microsoft allows the console to:
- choose a nighttime period for maintenance and updates.
- use renewable energy from the power grid.
- have a new “power off” setting that replaces sleep mode.
This “power off” setting is supposed to save 20 times more power than sleep mode.
Microsoft states the following:
We are not only responsible for the carbon emissions caused by manufacturing and distributing our products but also for the emissions that occur when our products are used in the homes of our fans. The way we design our hardware and software to be more efficient and optimized for renewable energies can have a significant impact.
Blaine Hauglie, Technical Program Manager at Xbox.
The feature supposedly has “no impact on performance, gameplay, or the console’s ability to receive updates overnight.”
Why are politicians outraged now? For many politicians, the announcement evokes the idea that Microsoft wants to “take away” the console from gamers. Many equate this with other consumer goods like coffee or even weapons and see it as an infringement on their self-determination. Certain things might no longer be used because they could pose a disadvantage to the environment or other people. A discussion that is increasingly being raised in the USA.
For example, Senator Ted Cruz tweeted on January 23, 2023: “First gas stoves, then your coffee, now they have their sights set on your Xbox.” He was referring to a statement from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) concerning the health risks of gas stoves.
Representative Troy Nehls from Texas also added (via twitter.com):
They want to take away your guns. They want to take away your gas stoves. And now they want to take away your Xbox. What comes next?
Do you have to use the function? No, Microsoft has stated that the new setting is completely optional. If one does not wish to use it, they can also deactivate it. So nothing is “taken away,” especially not one’s own Xbox console.
Therefore, many people also consider the outrage of the politicians to be unwarranted. For a setting does not necessarily mean that one wants to force anyone to do something. Rather, it is even a good thing that such an option is being offered. And the fewest gamers would keep their system running 24 hours a day anyway.
Others explain that such a function is not new at all. Other companies, such as Apple, also reduce the power consumption of chargers overnight, and no one has complained about that until today.
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