Between plastic packaging and console energy consumption, Video Games can be bad for the environment. This stems largely from the electricity that consoles require, which so often come from fossil fuel power plants which emit carbon dioxide. When considering how gaming impacts the environment, several factors come into play, including the physical waste of game packaging, the power consumption of different gaming consoles, and even the length of different video games when it impacts time spent playing.
Video game companies are becoming increasingly aware of their environment impact and the importance of reducing it. This has been behind decisions such as Microsoft's commitment to carbon neutrality since 2012. More recently, it's been the topic of conversation in the United Nation's new Playing for the Planet initiative.
Both physical and digital games can leave a surprisingly carbon footprint, according to Console Carbon Footprint research conducted by digital s are becoming more common and are more eco-friendly than physical games, they don't even come close to eliminating the environment impact of gaming. Check out the video below for more information about the UN's Playing for the Planet project:
After installed via disc or , a game's impact on the environment is largely a result of energy consumption. In other words, the more time players spend with their consoles turned on and plugged in, the more energy is consumed from power plants that emit CO2. In addition, the advent and increasing popularity of cloud gaming puts extra stress on servers. With this online streaming, data centers often handle graphics processing as well. All of this adds to video games' carbon footprint.
The good news is that in light of climate change, many video game companies are pledging to greener practices. For instance, though Greenpeace once ranked PC games in recycled packaging. All of these steps, however big or small, are helping move the Video Game industry toward a more environmentally-friendly future.
Sources: Slots Online Canada, Playing For The Planet