A new "Green Gaming" study has measured the carbon footprint of popular consoles and games based on power draw, sales, and player counts. The headline finding: PlayStation consoles dominate the worst-performing list, and League of Legends is the heaviest game per hour played.
It is the kind of report that is easy to dismiss as PR, but the methodology is more interesting than that. Per-hour emissions, weighted by actual player counts, is a more honest lens than simple sales totals.
Quick take
- PlayStation 3 tops the least eco-friendly console list at 0.043kg CO2e per console per hour
- Total PS3 emissions reach 3,758.2 tonnes of CO2e per hour across the installed base
- Xbox 360 is second-worst at 3,528 tonnes of CO2e per hour
- PS5 also ranks poorly at 6,298 tonnes per device sold per hour
- Nintendo Switch is the most eco-friendly console at 0.003kg CO2 per hour
- League of Legends is the heaviest game at 58.4 million kg CO2e
- Fortnite is second at 6.4 million kg CO2e, followed by Apex Legends and FIFA 22
Reading the per-hour numbers
Per-hour emissions are the metric that matters, because what you actually use is what you actually emit. The PS3's per-hour draw is small in isolation, but multiplying it by the entire installed base is what produces the headline figure. The same logic makes the PS5 a heavy hitter on a per-device-sold-per-hour basis, since the console itself draws more power.
The Nintendo Switch lands on the other end of the list at 0.003kg CO2 per hour. That tracks with the hardware: portable, low-power chip, and the dock does not change the math much for most TVs.
Why League of Legends tops the game list
The study's game calculation is straightforward but unforgiving. It uses player counts multiplied by average playtime multiplied by a typical PC power draw. League of Legends wins for two reasons: very high concurrent player counts (around 2.3 million at peak) and a long average playtime (around 1,008 hours per multiplayer account).
Fortnite is second despite shorter sessions (68.5 hours average), only because it has 2.6 million concurrent players. Apex Legends and FIFA 22 round out the heavy hitters. The data point nobody loves is FIFA 22: only 356,000 concurrent players, but a long per-account playtime and wide platform support push it to 926,000 kg CO2e.
Our analysis
The study has obvious limitations. Per-device draw numbers are not all from the same test setup, and player counts are based on a single data source. Treat the rankings as directional, not precise. That said, the directional story is consistent: older consoles with massive installed bases and high-power PCs running long sessions are where the bulk of gaming emissions live.
The most useful honest finding is that lighter hardware helps but cannot offset long sessions. The Switch is greener per hour, but if you play it eight hours a day, the sum still adds up. The reverse is also true: a beefy PC running FIFA 22 for ten minutes is barely a tick on the chart.
For console buyers, the takeaway is to think about hours played and where you play. A docked Switch in the living room versus a PS5 idling on a home screen are very different emissions profiles.
Worked example: an emissions audit
Say you are a League of Legends player working through a typical week of ranked play. By the study's math, the per-account contribution adds up fast because of long sessions and large concurrent player counts. The easy wins are smaller ones: reduce idle time on a gaming PC and prefer low-power modes where available.
What to watch next
Watch for follow-up studies that include data centre and cloud streaming emissions, which the current methodology mostly sets aside. Bottom line: the biggest impact on gaming's footprint is what you actually play, not what you own.
Key takeaways
- PS3 is the heaviest console per installed base per hour
- Nintendo Switch is the lightest console per hour
- League of Legends tops the games list at 58.4 million kg CO2e
- Fortnite, Apex Legends, and FIFA 22 round out the heavy hitters
Frequently asked questions
How was the study calculated?
It used power consumption per device, sales data, player counts and completion times to estimate per-hour and total emissions.
Which game emitted the most CO2e?
League of Legends came in at 58.4 million kg CO2e, based on its large player base and long average playtime.
Which console is most eco-friendly?
The Nintendo Switch, at 0.003kg CO2 per hour per console.
Are these numbers exact?
No, they are directional estimates based on specific data sources, but the rankings are internally consistent.
What can a player actually do?
Reduce idle time on a gaming PC, prefer low-power modes when available, and shorten long idle sessions.