PS5 is more power-hungry than Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 laptops - here's why that's a good and bad thing

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Sony’s tower of power is one hungry beast

PS5
(Image credit: Sony)

As a next-gen console that runs on an eight-core, custom-made AMD CPU, the PS5 was always going to be one power-hungry beast – but few expected it to be able to compete with the latest and greatest gaming laptops on the market. 

According to tests conducted by Notebook Check, the PS5 consumes more power than even the latest GeForce RTX 3080-toting laptops, including laptops featuring the new Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 and 3070 laptop graphics cards.

After comparing the PS5 to these mega-expensive devices (some cost at least five times the price of the console), the results reveal Sony’s next-gen hardware beats or equals them in several respects. 

Tower of power

Running Astro’s Playroom on the PS5, and The Witcher 3 at 1080p maximum settings (with an uncapped frame rate) on all the latest RTX 30 laptops, the former drew a maximum 225W versus lower readings on almost all of the latter. 

Even the most power-hungry Ampere laptop used in the test, the large 17.3-inch Schenker XMG Neo 17, averaged only 187W when gaming. It’s commonly assumed that the PS5 consumes roughly 180W to 200W when running demanding titles like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla or Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales.

It’s worth noting that most of the latest GeForce RTX 3080 laptops can draw more power than they do while gaming, but this only occurs when the processors are at maximum load – which almost never occurs during typical gameplay sessions. 

As a result, players can expect to enjoy power from the PS5 that rivals some of the most expensive gaming laptops money can buy. That’s some pretty good bang for your buck.

However, it shows that the Ampere laptops are pretty well optimised as well. When running a home console, the amount of power it uses isn't too much of a consideration (except when it comes to your energy bills), but with laptops it's far more important.

The more power-hungry the laptop components are, the faster they will deplete the battery. Also, it means they get hot when in use, which can be an issue with slimline laptop designs – and part of the reason why Sony went for such a large design with the PS5.

So, while it's impressive that the PS5 is able to offer such good performance for its price, it's also good to see new gaming laptops balance power and performance so well.

Via Notebook Check 

Axel Metz
Axel Metz
Phones Editor

Axel is TechRadar's UK-based Phones Editor, reporting on everything from the latest Apple developments to newest AI breakthroughs as part of the site's Mobile Computing vertical. Having previously written for publications including Esquire and FourFourTwo, Axel is well-versed in the applications of technology beyond the desktop, and his coverage extends from general reporting and analysis to in-depth interviews and opinion.  Axel studied for a degree in English Literature at the University of Warwick before joining TechRadar in 2020, where he then earned an NCTJ qualification as part of the company’s inaugural digital training scheme.