As the energy use of games consoles has risen, due to increased ownership and use and improved performance and functionality, various governments have shown an interest in ways to improve their energy efficiency. Estimates of console energy use vary widely between 32 and 500 kWh/year. Most such estimates are unreliable as they are based on incorrect assumptions and unrepresentative data. To address the shortcomings of existing estimates of console energy use, this study collates, normalises and analyses available data for power consumption and usage. The results show that the average energy use of high definition games consoles (sold between 2005 and 2011 inclusive) can be estimated at 102 kWh/year, and 64 kWh/year for new console models on sale in early 2012. The calculations herein provide representative estimates of console energy use during this period, including a breakdown of the relative contribution of different usage modes. These results could be used as a baseline to evaluate the potential energy savings from efficiency improvements in games consoles, and also to assess the potential effectiveness of any proposed energy efficiency standards. Use of accurate data will help ensure the implementation of the most effective efficiency policies and standards. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.