Climate change is forcing my Xbox console into summer hibernation
You've heard of the Xbox toaster, well. . . (Image credit: Jennifer Young - Windows Central)In the UK, Summer used to mean a few fleeting days of mild sunshine, scoffing a melted choc ice in my Nan's backyard. . .
You've heard of the Xbox toaster, well. . . (Image credit: Jennifer Young - Windows Central)In the UK, Summer used to mean a few fleeting days of mild sunshine, scoffing a melted choc ice in my Nan's backyard and still needing to put a cardigan on in the evening. Thanks to climate change however,British Summer is rapidly turning into a crash course on how to survive 6 weeks in Mount Doom. We're now regularly seeing temperaturessoaring to 38°C(that’s a blistering 100. 4°F for our American readers across the pond), which alone probably doesn't sound that dramatic, but as everyone over the age of 40 says, IT'S THE HUMIDITY THAT GETS YOU. Anyway, to my point, foranyone living in a classic heat-retaining UK brick housebuilt to withstand the winters and middling summers of the past, sitting indoors and trying to game in this heat feels like trying to playDiablo 4from actual Hell. It's put me off turning my Xbox on at alland pushed me further into the arms ofhandheld gaming. Gaming is so hot right now, literally. The whole family playing Palworld this afternoon sent our living room hotter than the surface of the sun(Image credit: Jennifer Young - Windows Central)Under full load, both theXbox Series Xand S I have in my living roomact like electric radiators at best,but during Summer it's absolutely unbearable. TheXbox Series Xdraws around 160 to 200 watts of powerwhen rendering demanding games, dumping nearly every single watt of that electricitystraight back out into the room as pure thermal exhaust. Naturally, this raises the question: is Microsoft doing anything to help us out?It's worth noting that Microsoft’srevised Xbox Series X models(including the all-digital white edition) have a smaller chip, and I'm still rocking the old disc model. The new chips pull roughly10 to 15 watts less from the walland are more power-efficient, but I doubt that 10-watt difference has a dramatic enough effect on heat output. In my case, I play mainly on a Series S anyway, which, while about half as powerful as the Series X, also dumps every watt it generates out the vent as heat. TheXbox Toastermight be a real, actual kitchen appliance, but I'dargue you could fry an egg to go with it on my Series S. Though disclaimer: I didn't actually risk breaking my console to try this; the picture is a joke. Have you seen how much theXbox costs nowadays?Retreating to the cold arms of the ROG Ally XOnce it hitsa certain temperature, you'll find me with Dave the Diver and a cold pint(Image credit: Jennifer Young - Windows Central)I've had a love-hate relationship withmy ROG Ally X, but faced with giving up gaming for the summer or melting into my couch, I've been pushed willingly back into its arms as my device of choice. Sure, it also generates some heat of its own, butit's more akin to holding a Dyson hairdryerthan having full-force hot winds blowing into my living room. That being said, there are plenty of ways I can lower the impact, likedropping the TDP and playing in Silent mode. I've alsoleaned a little harder into XboxCloud Gamingduring these hot spells. Using the cloud, I can play the more graphically heavy titles on a lower-power screen without melting my lap away. Granted, using the Cloud is environmentally ironicNadella tells us Microsoft is trying to lessen it's carbon footprint(Image credit: Getty Images | George Chan / Stringer)While handhelds and cloud gaming save my immediate space from an unbearable meltdown, I do need to acknowledge thatcloud gaming doesn't actually eliminate heat entirely. It's simply displacing it elsewhere, namely to Microsoft's massive server infrastructure. Data centers require colossal amounts of electricityto run high-end server blades and even more energy to power the massive industrial chillers keeping those racks cool. As climate change continues to drive extreme weather across Europe and North America, relying on cloud infrastructure simply shifts the burden elsewhere. I'm saving myself from sweating today, but streaming high-bitrate video from a rack of server GPUs miles away and outsourcing my discomfort to Microsoftcarries its own heavy carbon footprint. Big tech is wrestling with this environmental paradox, and Microsoft has faced intense scrutiny over its climate impact, with reports highlighting howdata center water usage could double or even triple by 2030due to intense cooling demands. The company is more than aware of the backlash. Microsoft CEOSatya Nadellarecently touted new closed-loop liquid cooling technologies, claiming their revamped data centers can drastically cut water consumption down towhat a single restaurant would use per year. But whether closed-loop cooling fixes the issue or not,the sheer electrical demand of running hyperscale infrastructure isn't disappearing. Every time I stream a game to keep my bedroom cool,Microsoft's servers are working overtime and sweating on my behalf. Surviving the new normalThis guy on Redditbuilt a whole PC chimney for his setup(Image credit: Reddit [@scvready0808])Until air conditioning becomes standard in British housing, summer gaming will remain an uncomfortable and sweaty juggling actfor me. For now, mySeries S is taking an extended summer break, staying firmly switched off. You'll find me sat next to an open window begging for a slight breeze and relying on my gaming handheld to get me through the heatwave. Or you know, I could just read a book. . . Join us onReddit at r/WindowsCentralto share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more. Jen is a News Writer for Windows Central, focused on all things gaming and Microsoft. Anything slaying monsters with magical weapons will get a thumbs up such as Dark Souls, Dragon Age, Diablo, and Monster Hunter. When not playing games, she'll be watching a horror or trash reality TV show, she hasn't decided which of those categories the Kardashians fit into. You can follow Jen on Twitter@Jenbox360for more Diablo fangirling and general moaning about British weather.