The upcoming PlayStation 5 Power Saver mode will impact performance so much, especially with reduced memory bandwidth, that it's unlikely that better power efficiency is its only goal
During the latest episode of their weekly podcast, the tech experts at Digital Foundry commented on the upcoming Power Saver mode that has already been introduced to the system with a beta system software update, highlighting how the stated goal of improving the system's power efficiency is unlikely to be the main goal of this new mode (much like the leaked Xbox Project Green Leaf is) for a few reasons.
For starters, some of the rumored limitations it brings, such as significantly reduced memory bandwidth, will impact the system's performance a lot, so much so that the most demanding games will run poorly in Power Saver mode without the developer's intervention, and asking developers to target this mode also seems to be quite a lot to ask, if power efficiency is the only goal. Even looking from a user's perspective, the PlayStation 5 Power Saver mode doesn't make a lot of sense, according to Digital Foundry, as it's very unlikely someone would gimp their systems just to have minimal savings on energy bills, with the expected minimal difference in terms of power efficiency.
Interestingly enough, how Microsoft has handled power efficiency for its Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S is another strong indication that the PlayStation 5 Powr Saver mode's main goal is something other. In Fortnite, for example, Microsoft introduced some tweaks to save power without requiring developer intervention, such as reducing the framerate of the game's main menu to save power if the system is left idling, and changing the game's dynamic resolution scaling with no impact on the experience. As such, having an entire system setting to address power efficiency seems to force a lot of work on developers for very little gain for the end user.
As such, Digital Foundry thinks this new PlayStation 5 Power Saver mode is being introduced to provide developers with some specs targets for a future device. A low-power PS5 in the vein of the Xbox Series S seems very unlikely this late in the generation, and the reduced memory bandwidth is a strong indication that Power Saver mode has, as rumored, some relation with a possible future handheld system.
Besides introducing Power Saver mode, which currently cannot be tested as no game supports this new setting, the new PlayStation 5 beta firmware introduces some welcome new features, including the ability to pair DualSense controllers with multiple devices at the same time. You can learn more about this beta firmware here.
About the author: Francesco De Meo has been covering video games and technology since 2012, starting his career at small outlets like Gamersyndrome and GeekSnack. After joining Wccftech gaming section in 2015, he quickly expanded his video gaming coverage with in-depth reporting, interviews with iconic industry figures such as Grasshopper Manufacture founder and No More Heroes creator Goichi "Suda51" Suda, Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami, Team NINJA's president and Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda, and Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, reviews and on-the-ground coverage of major industry events such as Gamescom and E3. When he's not reporting or reviewing, Francesco can be found playing the genres he loves most, spending time with his six cats, reading, writing music, playing guitar and drumming for his progressive rock band.
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