How do you upgrade your exosuit, multitool, and starship in No Man's Sky? Where can you get upgrades for your equipment, and how do you use them? As you progress in No Man's Sky, you'll want to make sure you have access to better and more capable multitools and starships, and a big part of that is finding upgrades. As part of our No Man's Sky guide, let's explain how to upgrade your exosuit, multitool, and starship.
Below, we'll go through exosuit, multitool, and starship upgrades in turn, laying out what can be upgraded and how.
No Man's Sky Exosuit Upgrades
Your exosuit is your most important asset in No Man's Sky, as it's the thing keeping you alive while you explore all those zany planets. It makes sense to keep it in top shape with some upgrades, then. Fortunately, there are plenty you can get your hands on.
Exosuit Inventory Space Upgrades
Early on, inventory storage is a limited and valuable commodity in No Man's Sky. It's where all the resources you pick up reside, and those slots you start off with will very quickly fill up. Fortunately, you're not stuck with the default number of slots — throughout the game you can find inventory space upgrades. You can have up to 48 slots in your General and Cargo tabs, while the Technology tab maxes out at 14 slots.
To get an inventory upgrade for your exosuit, you can do one of three things:
- Purchase one aboard your current star system's space station (once per star system)
- Purchase one aboard the Space Anomaly (once per star system)
- Find and repair Drop Pods on planets
When you purchase an inventory upgrade, the price on subsequent upgrades goes up incrementally, meaning it'll cost you more and more each time. However, this won't be a problem if you follow this guide — No Man's Sky: How to Make Money and Get Lots of Units Quickly.
Exosuit Technology Upgrades
As well as upgrading your inventory space, you can upgrade any technology installed in your exosuit too. It's definitely worth doing if you're planning on spending any length of time in the game. There are two types of upgrade for exosuit technology.
Upgrade Modules are purchasable, one-use items that take up a slot in your inventory. When placed next to a corresponding technology, they give that technology a stat boost of some kind, and this boosting will stack multiple times. Various classes of upgrade modules are available, with higher class ones obviously providing better stat boosts. You can buy upgrade modules from technology merchants in space stations with Nanites, or you can occasionally find them at certain points of interest on a planet's surface.
Technology Blueprints, meanwhile, allow you to construct improvements yourself. If you're looking to install new or improved tech in your exosuit, you want to find yourself blueprints rather than upgrades. The easiest way to get exosuit technology blueprints is from the Space Anomaly. In the back room, a vendor named Iteration: Selene sells these blueprints in exchange for Nanites. You can get blueprints for enhancements to your jetpack, shields, and life support systems, as well as things like a Personal Refiner to help you craft things on the move. You can also find blueprints for exosuit technology in points of interest on planets and occasionally as rewards for talking to NPCs.
No Man's Sky Multitool Upgrades
Your multitool is an essential, er, tool in No Man's Sky, giving you the ability to mine precious resources as well as defend yourself from enemies. The one you start off with will serve you well enough for a little bit, but it's in your best interest to find or buy a better one so you can beef it up with upgrades.
Getting a New Multitool
The multitool you have at the start of the game is about the most basic you can have, and you'll quickly find yourself looking for a better one. Fortunately, No Man's Sky gives you plenty of opportunities to obtain one. It's also worth noting you can own up to three multitools at once, swapping between them with the quick menu. You can:
- Buy a new multitool from some NPCs
- Buy a new multitool from space stations, the Space Anomaly, and other buildings
- Receive a damaged multitool for free which can be repaired
If you're buying a new multitool, you'll find that the better ones can go for millions of Units. If you need a cash boost, see our guide: No Man's Sky: How to Make Money and Get Lots of Units Quickly.
Multitool Inventory Space Upgrades
Like your exosuit and starship, your multitool has an inventory, although it is solely used to install new technology or technology upgrades. The number of slots you have access to depends on your multitool's type and class, and varies from 5 to 24. Of course, the better the multitool, the more slots it'll have by default, but you can always get inventory slot upgrades to improve your weapon. You can get these by:
- Buying new slots on space stations at the multitool upgrade console
- Visiting Manufacturing Facilities and receiving them as a reward from the terminal
- Completing agent missions
- Finding them at Crashed Freighters on planets
Multitool Technology Upgrades
Provided you have ample inventory slots, you should absolutely upgrade your multitool with new or improved technology. It's well worth investing some time (and Nanites) into your multitool's capabilities. As with exosuit technology upgrades, there are two types to be aware of.
Upgrade Modules play the same role as they do for the exosuit: they supplement your multitool's current technology with stat boosts, which is amplified when placed adjacent to that tech in the inventory. You can buy upgrade modules on space stations or in certain points of interest on planets.
Technology Blueprints are, again, new and usually better technology that, once obtained, you install yourself with the appropriate materials. For example, if you want the Blaze Javelin weapon, you'll need to find or purchase the blueprint and then install it by inserting specific materials. The Space Anomaly is home to many multitool technology blueprints in exchange for Nanites, but you can also find them as rewards in certain buildings on planets.
No Man's Sky Starship Upgrades
Obviously, your starship is as integral to the No Man's Sky experience as anything else. Without a ship, you can't fly to other planets or star systems, and that wouldn't be very exciting, would it? You start off with a simple little fighter ship, and you can get by with it for a while, but at some point you'll want to soup it up with some upgrades to make your life a little easier.
Getting a New Starship
The most obvious course of action when considering a better starship is to simply get a new one. No Man's Sky of course features countless starships for you to choose from, and there are a few ways you can get your hands on an improved ride. For the full rundown on finding a new starship, see our guide: No Man's Sky: How to Get a New Starship.
Starship Inventory Upgrades
As with your exosuit and multitool, your ship has an inventory, and it can be expanded with upgrades. A starship can hold technology as well as resources and other cargo, and you'll quickly fill it up if you don't seek out some extra slots. You can add more inventory slots to your ship by visiting the starship outfitting terminal in space stations.
Furthermore, you can also upgrade your starship's class, and doing so will increase the maximum number of possible inventory slots.
It should also be noted you cannot increase the inventory of a living ship.
Starship Technology Upgrades
Most ships have a fair amount of inventory space, and you should use some of that space to upgrade it with new technology. As with the exosuit and multitool, there are a couple of types of tech upgrade you can get your hands on.
Upgrade Modules are, as we've established, used to give your ship's existing technology a stat boost. You can buy these from the right vendor in space stations, and they don't require any additional crafting to install — you just pop them down where you like. Ideally, right next to the technology they're affecting.
Technology Blueprints, once again, are what you're really after if you want to install new or improved technology into your ship. Most can be bought with Nanites from the Space Anomaly, and they allow you to build things like more efficient engines, powerful weaponry, improved shields, a more capable hyperdrive, and much more. It's worth your time to either get a ship with a ton of inventory space, or to invest in upgrading the number of slots — that way, you can max out its technology potential.
Living Ship Technology Blueprints
Living ships are very different from the usual, mechanical starships. These organic vessels can't have their inventory expanded, and they require different technology as well. You will need to play through the Starbirth quest line in order to get the most from these unusual starships. For more information, see our guide: No Man's Sky: How and Where to Find Living Ships.
And that's how to upgrade your exosuit, multitool, and starship in No Man's Sky. Have you been kitting yourself out with the best upgrades? Tell us in the comments section below, and read our No Man's Sky guide for plenty more.
