Starfield digipicking

You’ll find a number of locked doors and chests throughout the Settled Systems, which is where Starfield digipicking comes in.

Replacing the traditional lockpicking, Starfield digipicking is another revamped system for Bethesda’s expansive universe. Rather than turning a bobby-pin or lockpick in a keyhole, a whole new mini-game has arisen to freshen it up.

Whether you’re breaking into someone’s home or opening a weapon crate, be sure to pick a supporting Starfield background, and rank up the right Starfield skill with our guides.

Starfield lockpicking

The renamed lockpicking mechanic – Starfield digipicking – requires a digipick for each attempt, much like we’ve seen with lockpicks in previous Bethesda titles. Similarly, containers have a difficulty level beginning with Novice and most likely progressing through Advanced, Expert, and Master.

In order to attempt the higher level locks, you will need to rank up the corresponding skill: Security.

Compared to the keyholes that Fallout and Elder Scrolls players will be familiar with, Starfield’s digilocks are a bit more complicated. Rather than searching for the sweet spot on a lock and turning a lockpick, digipicking is more of a matching puzzle.

Each digilock has a series of rings and notches. In order to progress, you’ll need to match the correct notches on your digipick to the gaps in the lock and rotate them into place to complete the ring. Once you’ve cleared all of the rings, you can plunder or trespass to your heart’s content and get a little XP to boot.

Starfield auto-digipicking

Fortunately, an Auto-Slot option appears to exist, as seen in the gameplayer trailer, for those Spacefarers that want to skip the mini-game. However, as we haven’t seen this in action, it is unclear if this is a feature you have to unlock with a skill or special item.