Why is Ted Cruz upset about Xbox’s new power saving mode?

There’s a surprising new talking point for American conservative media and politicians: Xbox. U.S. senator, and former presidential candidate will speak on Monday Ted Cruz (R-TX) tweeted, “First gas stoves, then your coffee, now they’re gunning for your Xbox,” linking to an article on right-wing site Blaze News. Freedom Caucus members were in place within hours Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX) had paraphrased Cruz’s tweet (throwing guns in to spice it up a bit); Fox News had run an article with a headline claiming, “Woke brigade is after video games”; and a Fox & Friends host had said, “They’re going after the children!”

Is it the culture they are so passionate about? A new “carbon aware” power-saving mode that Microsoft is rolling out for Xbox consoles, along with some changes to their default settings intended to reduce their environmental impact.

What is the reason conservatives have suddenly chosen to focus on Xbox?

There’s never a good answer to this kind of question, although as Cruz’s tweet hints, the Xbox news (which broke two weeks ago) fits into a narrative that the right has been constructing about progressive forces seeking to curtail personal conveniences and comforts amid the climate crisis. Over the past weeks right-wing media has seized upon an academic study about coffee’s carbon footprint, and regulator concerns over the impact on public health from gas stoves. Attacking Microsoft’s new green settings is a convenient way to keep the subject rolling, garlanded with a recognizable brand and some youth-audience appeal.

Cruz can also be described as a keen gamer which could explain his interest in this subject.

What does the ‘carbon aware’ mode do?

Being “carbon aware” means that your Xbox, as long as it has an internet connection, will adjust when it does updates and downloads to times when the local power grid uses the most renewable energy and is least reliant on fossil fuels. The correct time is determined by checking the regional carbon intensity data online. Carbon-aware mode works by default. However, it only works if a console is powered down with the Shutdown setting. These settings will be discussed later.

Though new to Xbox, carbon awareness is not a brand-new initiative— all Windows 11 updates became carbon awareThis was last year. Microsoft plans to become carbon neutral by 2030. This includes its operations and how it uses its products.

Right-wingers have targeted the carbon-aware mode for the same reason that Microsoft chose to headline its news release with it — it has a hip, progressive-sounding name. However, there is another thing Microsoft is doing at the same moment that will have an even greater environmental impact.

Microsoft is causing Xbox users to shut down their Xboxes.

No — Microsoft isn’t “forcing” anyone to do anything other than accept the “carbon aware” update, which has zero impact on the user experience, as it only affects the timing of downloads and updates when the console is switched off.

Microsoft, however, is not. It is updating all Xbox consoles to use the Shutdown (aka “energy saving”) setting by default, rather than Sleep. Although Sleep mode is still available as an option after the update, those who wish to continue using it must go to the settings to reselect the setting.

So, Shutdown consumes up to 20x less power than Sleep. This means that every Xbox will be automatically switched to Shutdown. Even if some users choose to reverse the decision — a minor inconvenience, at worst — this update should have a meaningful impact on the carbon footprint of Xbox gaming worldwide.

What’s the difference between Shutdown and Sleep?

The “degradation” of the user experience in the name of climate politics that conservative culture warriors are complaining about amounts to longer boot times, mostly. Microsoft states that Shutdown mode can take 45 seconds to reboot a console, while Sleep mode takes much longer. Also, features that allow the Xbox to be woken remotely or with your voice are no longer available in Shutdown — you have to physically press a button on the Xbox or the controller to turn on the console.

Shutdown still supports the Quick Resume feature, which allows you to pick up games exactly where you left them.

What should I do if my Xbox is in Shutdown?

It’s up to you! The mode can help you reduce your power bills in this period of rising power prices, even though it has a negative impact on climate emergencies. So it’s a fiscally sensible as well as environmentally responsible option, with only a minor downside — unless you cannot live without remote wake, or you find 45 seconds to be an unbearably long period of time.

Or you don’t mind paying an extra fee to the power company for the privilege of owning the libs.