Microsoft was at the annual Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2023 this week, the company announced a developer toolkit for the Xbox platform that will measure energy consumption. Specifically, the kit will allow developers to build games that are more energy efficient for the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X.
According to Microsoft, the toolkit is an industry first:
“With a potential reach of over 3.1 billion players worldwide, game creators undoubtedly have potential to have a positive impact. These resources are designed to empower and enable developers to understand energy usage in their games and incorporate efficient strategies to help reduce the carbon impact of games.”
Microsoft's announcement is part of its wider plans to make Xbox carbon negative, water positive, and zero waste by 2030. Microsoft started that project last year when the company said Xbox is becoming the first gaming console that is carbon aware.
Recycling Commitment
The company plans to make all Xbox hardware 100% recyclable by 2030. Achieving that goal for hardware is more difficult because Microsoft outsources manufacturing. In other words, it is more complicated to control the sustainability efficiency of a partner. To overcome that challenge, Microsoft is targeting specific methods to reach its goals.
According to Microsoft's blog post at the time, Xbox will become 100% recyclable in all Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. This means Xbox consoles, accessories, and packaging will become 100% sustainable. Furthermore, Xbox gift cards will be made of paperboard instead of plastic.
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