Your TV and game console communicate through HDMI-CEC (Consumer Electronics Control), a feature that lets devices control each other over HDMI cables. When enabled, turning on your TV can power up your console, and vice versa. This happens automatically and can be annoying if you want to watch TV without booting up your gaming system.

The feature goes by different names depending on your TV brand — HDMI Device Link, Simple Link, Anynet+ or Bravia Sync, for example — but they all do the same thing. Disabling it on either your TV or console stops the automatic power behavior.

Here's how to prevent your TV from turning on your Xbox or PS5, with options for disabling the feature on your TV, PlayStation 5, or Xbox Series X|S.

1. Disable HDMI-CEC on your TV

Open your TV's settings menu using

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