Published in February 2020 by Joshua Aslan of the University of Surrey, this thesis uses life cycle analysis methodology to compare how different console-based gaming methods (games played from a disc, a downloaded file or streamed from the cloud) impact climate change.
A few key figures
60%
to 90% of a game’s total carbon emissions come from its use phase, regardless of the gaming method used (download, disc or cloud).
86
kgCO2e were generated by a user downloading games over 5 years, the average lifespan of a console, which is the equivalent of 123 washing machine cycles or 3 train trips from London to Glasgow.