Gregory's ServerThis is true in pretty much every sector of consumer tech, btw. Indie games typically lag behind the leading edge of technical specifications. Generally speaking, it's the AAA games that are requiring you to upgrade to the latest console or chip. The giant, cinematic, hyper-detailed experiences they're selling you are as much about filling excess capacity as they are about world building. I haven't seen any studies, but logically, it follows that indie games are better for the environment.
@lrhodes The internet is a better example of the Jevons paradox than the steam engines Jevons formulated it about.
Smartphones are much more power-efficient than big clunky desktop PCs. But the internet of smartphones is also much more power-hungry than the internet of desktop PCs was.