Gaming is a fun and interesting activity that has advanced significantly in the last few decades. People are even making a living out of it, while some engage in the fun and nothing more.
While gaming is enjoyable, not everyone is aware that sitting for hours playing with their favourite character can impact the environment. Individual habits differ when it comes to being eco-conscious about handling and operating gaming devices.
The world has become more environmentally conscious, leading various industries to embrace sustainability and minimise the environmental impact of their production routine.
The gaming industry has seen positive growth, emerging from a digital generation. As the gaming industry experienced significant growth, concerns have risen regarding the environmental impact of the industry. The fact is that the gaming industry has a considerable carbon footprint.1
Climate change is a global issue and every industry has a role to play towards achieving environmental sustainability. The gaming industry must take responsibility through genuine intent and sustainable practices for a greener future.
What Is Virtual Reality (VR)?
Virtual reality describes a computer-generated experience technologically designed to create a realistic three-dimensional environment which users can freely explore. It’s a technology that enables users to interact with a computer-generated environment realistically.2
The user in this realistic environment can control it through a worn device like a goggles, headset, gloves, and sensors. The computer-generated environment becomes a place where the user can manipulate objects as well as perform various actions.3
The Gaming Industry
The gaming industry is a very profitable sector in technology today. According to Wikipedia, the industry specializes in distributing, developing, marketing, monetization, and consumer feedback on video games.4
The industry generates billions of dollars from video game sales and is currently over $200 billion.5
Eco-Friendly Practices in Virtual Reality and Gaming Industries
Achieving environmental sustainability is a necessity that all industries must address. Consumers are demanding sustainable products and services, which has made various companies adapt to the new trend of implementing sustainable practices in their production lines.
The big gaming companies recognised this trend and currently spearheading the campaign to rely on renewable energy sources. They have shown commitment to reducing their carbon footprint in game development, and have chosen a more convenient way to stay operational.
In a responsible and sustainable effort, platforms such as PlayStation Network, Xbox Live and Stream are encouraging their customers to make a switch from purchasing physical copies to digital versions of their favourite games. This initiative is focused on waste reduction while digital distribution is popularized.
Xbox Gaming Sustainability
According to a statement from Xbox, the video gaming brand has “decided to minimise the environmental impact of gaming, aligning with their core values and commitment to both players and broader industry”.6
Microsoft, alongside game developers, is committed to making positive changes that will benefit the environment. They understand the need to do so considering the size of the global gaming community, which will only continue to increase by the year.
“Our ongoing dialogue and research with game developers have highlighted a shared ambition to enhance the video game industry’s ecological stewardship,” says the gaming brand. They believe that by prioritizing innovative design and engineering, gaming sustainability can be achieved, and it is very important to maintain that status.
Xbox is committed to a sustainable environment and they have shown true commitment through the introduction of helpful tools. They have become the first console platform to develop a unique tool to measure energy consumption and carbon emissions.
Creating these specialized tools was made possible by partnering with game creators who showed commitment to providing energy-efficient devices for gamers. The idea for creating these tools also focuses on reducing gamers’ carbon footprint while they enjoy every moment of playing actively with the game.
Inculcating Sustainable Ethics through Game Design
Game developers, with their advanced tech skills, can make an impact in educating users on environmental sustainability. They are the creators of virtual worlds that entice players to stay engaged for hours.
Game developers can create realistic worlds to encourage players to learn and adopt a sustainable lifestyle. They have the power to design a three-dimensional realistic environment that promotes environmentally conscious habits.
While the virtual worlds are interesting to explore, creating eco-conscious designs with the intent to educate players on the perilous fate of our home planet in the coming decades will yield positive results. A virtual presentation sends a real message to the player’s perception.
A deep understanding of what is to come if sustainable practices are not prioritised will convince individuals to adopt more eco-conscious habits. Game developers are talented creators who can make a significant change with their unique skills. The world needs it now more than ever to create environmental awareness to promote sustainability.7
Virtual Reality Creating Interactive and Realistic Learning Environments
We have already talked about how game developers can be the game changers in educating users about environmental sustainability. They can educate everyone about design, especially students.
With their game design skills, creating a virtual reality provides new opportunities in energy education. Through virtual presentations, a realistic learning environment is created for students to better understand the importance of environmental sustainability.
Virtual reality provides an opportunity for creative minds to engage with complex problems in real-world scenarios. Realistic displays in the classroom offer a better explanation and understanding.8
How VR and Gaming Companies Can Adopt Sustainable Practices
The gaming industry is worth hundreds of billions of dollars and remains one of the fastest-growing industries in the world. According to Statista, the global revenue of the industry was estimated at $369.2 billion as of May 16, 2024.
As gaming becomes more popular, the environmental concern associated with its existence continues to increase. The gaming community is estimated at over 3 billion, and more are joining the community by the day.9
With such a large gaming community, the production, distribution, and consumption of games raise some environmental concerns regarding energy consumption and carbon emissions.
The Use of Renewable Energy Sources
Gaming companies can adopt sustainable practices by embracing renewable energy sources. Various renewable sources can be utilized to keep the industry functioning.
The installation of renewable energy sources is a good investment as they are becoming more durable and affordable. Gaming companies can install solar panels, and wind turbines, or utilize hydropower to power gaming hardware.
Clean energy sources should also be used to power data centres, gaming servers and other hardware. Going green is a great choice, one that reduces the carbon footprint of gaming devices.
Efforts to Reduce Carbon Emissions
Establishing a carbon emission reduction initiative is a positive step towards environmental sustainability. The gaming industry, while prioritizing the production and distribution of video games, should also consider reducing its carbon emissions.
The reality of video game production and distribution is that it generates carbon emissions, which impacts global warming. The production of video games and the use of consoles contributes to global carbon emissions.
Minimizing the carbon footprint from the production of video games is achievable through sustainable practices. Game developers can implement sustainable actions to make the required change.
Gaming companies can also advise users to switch to energy-efficient devices to avoid excess power consumption.
Minimizing Energy Consumption
Gaming can be addictive, keeping users in front of the screen for hours. More hours spent on gaming leads to large energy consumption, which affects the environment.
Powering gaming consoles and other hardware consumes a considerable amount of energy. So, users spending more hours playing their favourite game are directly contributing to the emission of greenhouse gases.
Energy Consumption of Virtual Reality (VR) Equipment and Its Environmental Impact
Virtual reality is a technology that intends to mimic how we interact with the physical world. It creates a realistic computer-generated environment that convinces the human mind to feel physically present in this virtual world.10
Virtual reality is not without its environmental impact. According to a research study on the implications of virtual reality on environmental sustainability in the manufacturing industry, virtual reality contributes to carbon emissions through the digital optimization of disassembly processes.11
Energy consumption during the production of virtual reality technology also impacts the environment. As virtual reality technologies advance, powering them sustainably becomes a concern since it consumes a considerable amount of energy.
The continuous use of this innovation requires renewable energy sources, as relying on fossil fuels will lead to more greenhouse gas emissions.
Virtual Reality Headsets and Power Consumption
We’ve talked about how powering these new technologies can consume more power. Here are some popular virtual reality headsets and their power consumption rates.
HTC Vive
- Description: Uses a virtual reality headset, allowing users to connect their computer via a link box with USB 3.0, HDMI, and power connections.
- Energy consumption: 16.2 watts per hour
Oculus Rift
- Description: A device that connects to a computer via USB and a video HDMI cable
- Energy consumption: 3 watts per hour
PlayStation VR
- Description: A portable device that connects to the PlayStation 4, including Slim and Pro models. It’s also compatible with the PS5 console via a USB adapter to the PlayStation camera.
- Energy consumption: Around 74 watts on the Slim and 127 watts on the Pro model when playing Batman Arkham.12
Is VR environmentally friendly?
Virtual reality is technologically advanced to display, mimic and convince the human mind of a realistic digital environment. More people have come to love and use this technology, raising concerns regarding its energy consumption.
Energy consumption of the device varies based on the type of technology and the quality of the graphics and sound. Virtual reality is not a regular household appliance, so it consumes more energy.
From the three VR gaming headsets we listed above, the devices consume between 3 to 127 watts per hour.
To address the issue of energy consumption, technologically advanced models of VR headsets have been developed. Unlike the old models, the new models are energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable.13
How Environmentally Friendly Is Gaming?
Gaming is fun and can also be energy-intensive. Gaming devices can consume quite a lot of energy, and some users spend more hours playing their favourite game, increasing the amount of energy consumed.
According to an article (How video game companies are going green) published on Time.com, every hour spent gaming via the cloud on a PS4 with energy-intensive television can generate approximately 360 grams of carbon dioxide.
What Are the Environmental Issues in the Gaming Industry?
The manufacturing process of gaming consoles and other devices remains a major issue. The components of the gaming consoles include raw materials such as gold, zinc, nickel, and copper. These minerals are mined to manufacture these devices, keeping the industry profitable.
Mining resources for an industry worth billions of dollars raises questions about environmental safety. How these raw materials are mined is still a concern.
The mining industry is a major polluter of the environment. Each process causes irreparable harm to the environment. The extraction process pollutes the air, water, and nearby ecosystems.
The environmental impact of the gaming industry is significant, with billions of kilograms of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere.
Can Sunlight Damage VR?
Visual reality technology makes it possible for users to interact with a computer-generated environment realistically. Sunlight damage can occur with Standalone devices like the Oculus Quest 2. Owners are advised to keep the glasses away from the sun. Even the smallest rays of sunlight can cause a burn mark on the lenses.14
The damaged spot can be notable with a dark dot surrounded by a light circle. Sometimes, the burn can appear large on the lenses.
Conclusion
The gaming industry is a billion-dollar industry capable of doing much more than just providing the fun of creating a virtual environment. While the industry needs to adopt sustainable practices, game developers can also design games to educate users about adopting green practices.
Sources
- Lab, U., Mattila, V., & Pang, R. (2023). How gaming can be more sustainable? ResearchGate. ↩︎
- TeamViewer. (2024, July 2). What is virtual reality (VR) and how does it work? | TeamViewer ↩︎
- What is Virtual Reality? – Virtual Reality Society. (2017, June 30). Virtual Reality Society. ↩︎
- Wikipedia contributors. (2024, June 4). Video game industry. Wikipedia. ↩︎
- Daley, S. (2022, September 29). A look into the gaming industry: types of video games and gaming jobs. Built In. ↩︎
- Danielmjacobs. (2024, July 10). Gaming Sustainability – Microsoft Game Dev. Microsoft Learn. ↩︎
- Designing Games with Environmental Sustainability: Ethical considerations in game development | MoldStud. (2024, January 25). ↩︎
- How can virtual reality be used in the sustainable energy sector – draw & code. (2023, December 14). Draw and Code.
↩︎ - Lab, U., Mattila, V., & Pang, R. (2023). How gaming can be more sustainable? ResearchGate ↩︎
- Xiaoxia Chen et al: “Implications of Virtual Reality on Environmental Sustainability in Manufacturing Industry: A Case Study“. ↩︎
- Chen, X., Gong, L., Berce, A., Johansson, B., & Despeisse, M. (2021). Implications of virtual reality on environmental sustainability in manufacturing industry: a case study. Procedia CIRP, 104, 464–469. ↩︎
- Team, C. C. (2022, February 22). Does VR use a lot of energy? Constellation Residential and Small Business Blog. ↩︎
- Mersusglobal. (2023, September 29). Sustainable VR: Eco-friendly innovations in virtual reality. Mersus Technologies. ↩︎
- Fletcher, C. (2024, January 12). The environmental Impacts of the video game industry | Earth.Org. Earth.Org. ↩︎