When your Xbox is turned off, can you download games while it is still on? You can find all the information you need here…
Have you ever wondered how to download Xbox games in sleep mode? There is no need to worry, because we will show you what to do.
In my opinion, one of the best features of Xbox consoles is the huge number of games that can be purchased via the digital storefront, which is one of the best things about it. While downloading games has its advantages, there can sometimes be a little frustration associated with the time spent waiting for a game to download.
In particular, if you are impatient to begin playing the game as soon as possible. You might not be aware of the fact that you can actually download Xbox games in sleep mode, which you may not have been aware of.
It has the advantage that you can continue with the rest of your day without having to worry about it. If you return to your console after a break, you won’t have to start up the download again from the point where you left off, which will save you a lot of time and frustration in the long run.
Due to the sheer size of some modern games, even a fast internet connection can still take a long time to completely download them if you are connected to the internet at a high speed. Now let’s take a look at how you can download games onto your Xbox even when it’s in a sleep mode so you can play them when you wake up. The following will be a review of both the Xbox One and the Series X|S.
What is Xbox Sleep Mode?
In short, sleep mode is the shorthand term for putting your Xbox on standby rather than completely turning it off. Essentially, it’s the Xbox’s equivalent of the PlayStation 5’s Rest Mode.
In terms of technical terms, the Xbox offers more than one type of standby mode. You will find an Energy-saving power mode, which, as you would expect, is designed to save you energy as you use the device. When you turn the console back on after it has been turned off, it takes up to 45 seconds for the console to boot up again.
It is also worth noting that the Instant-on mode is another option that can be used when this Xbox is on standby in order to download games. The name of the feature suggests that you will be able to switch your console on much faster; it will take less than five seconds. It can also be used to wake up your console using a voice command (where available) or to switch on your TV, cable or satellite box using a voice command (where available).
It is important to note that the benefit of this method is that games and applications will continue to install and update, even when the console is off. The power consumption of this mode is higher than the energy-saving mode, but it will save you a lot of time. The process is also less energy intensive than having the console fully switched on while you download the game, so you’ll save a lot of money.
So now that the issues have been resolved, how can we make sure that our Xbox is in the right power mode? It would be very helpful if we could download games while the computer is turned off in the background. It will be interesting to see what happens!
How to put Xbox One in Instant-on mode
Here are the steps you need to follow in order to put your Xbox One into instant-on mode:
- The first thing you need to do is press the Xbox button on your controller.
- You can find the settings under System > Settings.
- Select the Power mode and Startup menu on the left side of the screen.
- Select Power mode from the Power Options menu and press the A key.
- Depending on your preference, you can choose either Instant-on or Energy-saving mode. To enable Instant-on, you will need to select it from the menu.
How to put Xbox Series X|S in Instant-on mode
- You can open the guide by pressing the Xbox button on your controller.
- Then select Profile and System > Settings > General > Power mode and start-up options.
- In the drop-down menu of the Power mode, you can choose which setting you wish to use
Regardless of whether you are using either of these consoles, once you have set them up in the correct power mode, the hard work is already done. The only thing you have to do is to start downloading the game you want, and after that you can switch off your console and start playing the game immediately.
As a result, the download will be able to continue. The only thing you need to make sure is that your Xbox has a stable internet connection. It will be as if everything else just happens by itself.
How Much Power Does Instant-On Use?
If you are using Instant-On mode on your console, one thing you need to keep in mind is that your console will use more power than if it is turned off or in regular standby. But how big of a difference does it really make? Is it really that much of a difference?
It is estimated that an Xbox Series X in “Regulatory Standby” will consume around 0.5W, whereas an Xbox Series X in “Instant-On” will consume 13W over the course of the same period of time.
Additionally, when the Xbox One S is in Regulatory Standby, it consumes 0.5W of power. In addition, when Instant-On is used, it will consume 11 watts of power.
This is done as part of the Game Console Voluntary Agreement, which can be read more about here, and is based on the agreed testing methods created by the agreement.
Ultimately, Instant-On will consume more energy than switching off your console when you are not using it. As a user, it’s up to you to decide whether or not the trade-off between spending a bit more on energy and saving time waiting for your games to download is worth it to you.