On this page, you will find out how many watts a PS2 draws.
Sony sold nearly 160 million units of the PlayStation 2. Even in 2022 it was still the biggest selling games console of all time, over 20 years after it first went on sale. It’s a much loved piece of the video game landscape, with millions of people still enjoying the classic games. I fire one now and then for a throwback, the graphics still hold up great. Plus it’s much less cumbersome and energy demanding than the next gen offerings. This got me wondering about its power consumption and whether it could run in an RV or campervan.
Below we will discuss and test PS2 wattage, explain how to work it out for yourself, and calculate the total electricity required.
How Many Watts is a PlayStation 2?
A PS2 uses a maximum of 79 watts. On average while playing games you will use between 40 – 50 watts.
The maximum wattage is the top power consumption rating but it is unlikely you will ever actually draw this much. In reality, it will use about 50% of this at around 40W.
The exact number depends on the function you are using and the game you are playing. For example, playing one of the more demanding games like Ratchet and Clank increases power consumption to nearly 50W. While watching a DVD uses very little power, less than 30W.
Compared to next gen consoles, the PlayStation 2 is quite a low powered device that rarely ever exceeds 50W. In comparison, it’s about the same power level as a traditional lightbulb or a 40 inch LED television.
How to Find Out Your PS2 Wattage
There are 3 ways you can work out the wattage of a PS2.
- Check Product Specification
The quickest way is to look at the PS2’s specification. The watts (W) is usually written on a sticker on the base of the appliance. If not, you can check the user manual or the manufacturer’s website for technical details. This sticker lists the maximum rating of your device. This can vary between different console editions.
- Use a Wattmeter
A wattmeter is brilliant for getting a live wattage reading and tracking total energy usage of any appliance. You can simply plug it into your PS2 to get instant information.
I used one to test a PlayStation 2 which gave a live reading of 48W while playing Ratchet and Clank.
- Wattage Formula or Calculator
If you know the amperage and voltage of your PS2 you can use this to find the maximum running watts. Simply use the formula Amps x Volts = Watts. Or you can head over to the ‘Watt Calculator’ to work this out.
How Much Electricity Does a PS2 Use?
You can use PS2 wattage to work out how much electricity it uses. Plus this can be useful in understanding how much it costs to run your PS2.
A watt (W) is a measurement of power at a single point in time. A watt-hour is the total amount of electricity used in an hour. For example, a PS2 drawing 50W would use 50Wh when running for an hour.
Happily, electricity bills are recorded in kilowatt-hours (kWh). A kilowatt is simply 1000 watts. So a 50W PS2 running for 1 hour uses 0.05kWh.
In reality, you might play PS2 for 2 hours a day. This means a PS2 uses upto 100Wh or 0.1kWh electricity a day. That’s 3kWh a month and 26.5kWh a year.
That’s an electricity cost of $4 a year to play PS2 every day for 2 hours!
Using a PS2 Off-Grid
If you want to use your PlayStation 2 in an off-grid situation like a power outage, RV, boat, semi-truck, or campervan, the information above is key. It allows you to select the correct power products and work out how long you can run.
You can either use a power inverter, portable power station, or generator to generate AC electricity.
To make sure everything runs smoothly you should check two things on this equipment – wattage capacity and total energy capacity.
Your power source, like an inverter, should have a wattage capacity of at least 20% more than your PS2. This ensures it will be able to deliver enough power as they are never 100% efficient. To play video games, you will need at least 200W of power capacity. This will give you enough to run your console and a TV.
Secondly, you need to ensure your energy source, like a battery, has enough energy to run the PS2 for the required amount of time. As we already know, it will use upto 50Wh electricity every hour. This is the equivalent to 4.16Ah on a 12V battery.
How Many Watts Does a PS2 Use Summary
I hope you now understand how many watts a PS2 uses.
The PS2 is certainly a step up in performance and power compared to the original PlayStation 1. In fact, it uses 5 times more power! That being said it is still very efficient and won’t suck up too much electricity when gaming. It gives you a lovely balance of gameplay and performance without overbearing energy usage.
