It only looks harmless at first glance: Microsoft is switching its Xbox Series X/S to an improved energy saving mode by default in view of increased energy costs. The sleep mode is deactivated and a new shutdown mode is activated, which takes a few more seconds to boot up but saves energy. The actual ruse of this change, however, has now been uncovered by conservative politicians and opinion and mood makers: Microsoft wants to re-educate young people to woken climate awareness.
“First gas stoves, then coffee, now they’re even targeting your Xbox,” Republican Senator Ted Cruz commented on Twitter on a no less tendentious message from right-wing magazine TheBlaze. Also the Congressman Troy Nehls senses the conspiracy: “They want to take away your guns, they want to take away your gas stoves, and now they want to take away your Xbox,” tweeted the Texan wringing his hands. “What’s next?”
“They are after your children!”
“Lol, now the Woke brigade has their eye on video games, all in the name of climate change,” sums up the conservative Young America Foundation target group oriented. Fox News, the home and feel-good channel of the Republican Party, has apparently seen through Microsoft’s left-wing game. “They try to recruit your children into climate politics at an earlier age, to make them climate-conscious,” analyzes studio guest Jimmy Failla. A “They’re after your kids!” on the part of presenter Ainsley Earhardt gives this revelation the appropriate drama.
At least he sees a glimmer of hope conservative Journalist John Ziegler. He hopes Microsoft’s annoying Xbox sleep mode will show young people the tangible effects of climate change. “Could this be the most culturally productive thing ever done in the name of the alleged climate emergency?!”
A few seconds longer start time
Microsoft’s energy transition is so insidious precisely because it is practically unnoticeable. Shutdown mode only takes a few seconds longer to boot up. There is also a compromise solution: The preset “Active hours” function can be configured in such a way that the console automatically switches from “Shutdown” to “Sleep mode” at certain times. This allows you to save energy at night (according to Microsoft, the Xbox Series consumes 10 to 15 watts in sleep mode and only 0.5 watts in shutdown mode) and does not have to do without the fast bootup during the day. Perfidious.
Luckily, if you want to evade the climate alignment, you can switch off all energy-saving measures on the Xbox consoles at any time – and feel reassured by the monthly electricity bill. The environmental organization NRDC estimates that over the next five years more than 500 million US dollars in energy costs would be incurred if all Xbox users left the energy-hungry sleep mode activated.
(dahe)
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