Starfield resources

Starfield resources are the crafting materials you need to create weapon mods, armor mods, outpost structures, and to complete various Starfield missions. However, with 114 resources spawning randomly across a huge range of planets and systems, finding the resource you want can be a challenge unless you use a database like ours to search for the resources you want.

Numerous vendors sell resources in bulk if you’re just looking for a quick bump in your resource count, and they can be found in most major cities. However, you’ll want to ensure you Starfield ship has enough cargo space to store everything, as resources are incredibly heavy and can easily overburden your character’s total carry weight.

All Starfield resources

Some of these resources are not raw elements, but rather compounds and manufactured items, such as Zero Wire and the Adaptive Frame which will support your outpost construction. Adaptive Frames are particularly interesting as they’re one of the few ways you can farm XP in this game (check out the link for a guide on how to do just that).

Resources are a crucial part of Starfield base building and equipment modifications, so you should start collecting them from as soon as you’ve completed the opening mission on Kreet, and continue to do so as you explore the galaxy. Individually, resources aren’t worth all that much, so it makes sense to store them on your ship – not on your person, to avoid carry weight concerns – as even if they’re stored on-board the Frontier, you still have access to them at any workbenches you might come across.

Top 10 Starfield resources

Among the many resources scattered throughout the Settled Systems, none are as important as these 10 best Starfield resources. Click through to their individual pages for full crafting recipes, and the best locations to acquire them:

• Adaptive Frame – A common manufactured resource which also nets you XP for crafting.
• Al – Aluminum – Used widely in Starfield base building, you’ll need more Aluminum than any other resource.
• Ct – Caelumite – Though used rarely, this resource does not spawn randomly and can only be found in specific Starfield locations.
• Fe – Iron – An exceedingly common resource, but you’ll need hundreds of Iron in your inventory over the course of a single game.
• Lubricant – Want your Starfield weapon to fire faster? You’ll need Starfield lubricant to construct the best Starfield weapon mods.
• Ni – Nickel – Besides outpost building, Nickel features in many Starfield research projects and weapon mod recipes.
• Polymer – A manufactured component widely used to upgrade your equipment, and build outpost modules.
• Structural Material – An easy to miss resource which is mostly used in decorating your outpost.
• Ti – Titanium – A rare but often in-demand resource for outpost objects and weapon customization.
• Zero Wire – A common manufactured resource which you’ll need a considerable amount of for outpost construction, and weapon mods.

How do I find Starfield resources?

With our Starfield planets database, you can easily search and filter for specific resources you’re trying to find. Whether it be Al – Aluminum, F – Fluorine, or any of the other precious crafting materials. Providing you have enough crew members, it’s worth setting up outpost locations on planets rich in resources, so you can time and effort leaving the mining work to characters like Supervisor Lin and Heller.

Where to store resources

While many players suggest dumping your overflowing resources at The Lodge, this isn’t practical from a crafting or even FPS standpoint. Your best bet to store resources is to either expand your ship’s cargo space with additional ship components, or to build an outpost with expanded storage options for solids, liquids, and gases. The best part of storing your resources with either of these methods is your ability to access them while in the crafting menu, the research lab view, or the outpost building menu.

If you take the time to establish cargo links between your bases, you can theoretically access an almost unlimited supply of resources, so long as you’re mining them somewhere down the line.

Mining for Starfield resources

Once you’ve located a resource node with your scanner, you’ll need to use the Cutter tool in order to extract some resources. Fortunately, mining with your laser puts that resource chunk straight into your inventory – you don’t have to walk over and pick up the chunks yourself.

Alternatively, once you’ve got an outpost going, you can use a number of resource extractors to passively gather resources on your behalf, even when you aren’t at your base.

For more tips and tricks to tackling an adventure across hundreds of planets, check out our guides to Starfield ships, Starfield cities, Starfield aliens, Starfield factions, and Starfield traits.