no man's sky resources guide

No Man’s Sky Resources Guide: Building Blocks of the Universe

Latest posts by Arron Kluz (see all)

Resources are the bedrock of No Man’s Sky. Most of the time that players spend in the game is spent chasing after resources, refining them, and then using them to make a profit, craft upgrades, or build their own base.

So, if you’re planning on spending an extended amount of time in No Man’s Sky, in this No Man’s Sky resources guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about where to find each resource and what they are used for.

Resources Overview

There are multiple categories of resources available in No Man’s Sky that determine how players obtain the resource as well as what they are used for. Every resource also has a rarity associated with it that determines just how frequently it appears on planets that meet its conditions.

However, there are some resources that can be found on all planets because it is necessary for a player to have access to them at all times. These include resources like Oxygen, Sodium, and Di-Hydrogen.

It is also important to note that resources like rocks, crystals, plants, and animals can be scanned with an Analysis Visor of an appropriate level to reveal what secondary resources you can get in smaller quantities while harvesting the primary resources.

Before you land on a planet, you can also scan it from your ship to gather information about it, including what resources you are likely to find there. This will allow you to go to particular planets if you are hunting for certain resources for trading or building purposes.

Read also: Comprehensive Guide on Making Money in No Man’s Sky: Get Rich Fast.

No Man’s Sky Resources

Activated Cadmium

Activated Cadmium

  • Group: Stellar
  • Rarity: Rare
  • Category: Metal

Activated Cadmium can be found in resource deposits on the surface of planets that orbit Red Stars. It cannot be used in any crafting recipes but can be placed in Refiners to create Chromatic Metal and Magnetised Ferrite.

Activated Copper

activated copper

  • Group: Stellar
  • Rarity: Common
  • Category: Metal

Activated Copper is similar to Copper in that it is found on the surface of planets orbiting Yellow Stars. However, it is not used in any crafting recipes and can only be used with a Refiner to create Chromatic Metal and Magnetised Ferrite.

Activated Emeril

Activated Emeril

  • Group: Stellar
  • Rarity: Common
  • Category: Metal

This resource appears in resource deposits on planets orbiting Green Stars or is rewarded by Frigate Expeditions. It can then be used to refine Chromatic Metal and Magnetised Ferrite but isn’t used for any crafting or cooking recipes.

Activated Indium

Activated Indium

  • Group: Stellar
  • Rarity: Common
  • Category: Metal

Activated Indium is created by fusion occurrences in the hearts of Blue Stars. It then can be mined from resource deposits on the surface of orbiting planets. Afterward, it can be refined to make Chromatic Metal and Magnetised Ferrite.

Ammonia

Ammonia

  • Group: Localized
  • Rarity: Uncommon
  • Category: Earth

Ammonia is a localized resource that can only be found on planets classified as toxic. The most useful use for it is to craft the Toxin Suppressor and Atmosphere Harvester, but it is also used in a few other crafting recipes and various Refiner processes.

Ancestral Memories

Ancestral Memories

  • Group: Special
  • Rarity: Common
  • Category: Special

To get Ancestral Memories, you need a creature to get Creature Pellets and then extract them. Afterward, they are used to craft the Whalesong Flue and the Memory Resonator.

Basalt

Basalt nomansky

  • Group: Localized
  • Rarity: Uncommon
  • Category: Earth

Basalt is a localized resource for volcanic environments. So far, it is only used for crafting the voltaic Amplifier, but its uses will likely be expanded upon with future updates.

Cactus Flesh

Cactus Flesh nomanssky

  • Group: Agricultural
  • Rarity: Uncommon
  • Category: Flora

On desert planets, you can harvest Echinocactus plants to get the Cactus Flesh resource. You can also grow Echinocacti wherever you want if you plant it with a Hydroponics Tray.

Cactus Flesh can then be used in recipes like Creature Pellets, Cactus Nectar, and Salty Juice. Or, it can be crafted into Echinocactus, Poly Fibre, and Unstable Gel. Finally, it can be refined into other resources like Carbon, Oxygen, and Pyrite.

Cadmium

cadmium no man's sky

  • Group: Stellar
  • Rarity: Rare
  • Category: Metal

Cadmium can only be found on planets that orbit Red Stars that shed the metallic material. It can then be mined from resource deposits, but if you don’t want to do that, the only way to get Cadmium is by dismantling components it is used to craft.

There is a small range of components that Cadmium is needed to craft, but it is mostly used to make Chromatic Metal.

Carbon

Carbon nomanssky

  • Group: Organic
  • Rarity: Common
  • Category: Fuel

Carbon is the resource that you will have to find and use the most frequently during your time with No Man’s Sky. This is because it is a fuel resource that is used to power furnaces and your mining equipment.

Thankfully, Carbon can be harvested from nearly all organic life that you’ll find and can even be gotten from refining other resources like Cactus Flesh. You also will have to use Carbon when crafting certain decorative pieces for your base.

Chlorine

Chlorine nomanssky

  • Group: Common
  • Rarity: Rare
  • Category: Earth

The easiest way to get Chlorine is by using Salt in a Refiner. However, you can also find it as a mineral underwater or in Organic Rocks. It is used as a part of some refining recipes to craft the Amino Chamber component and the Nautilon Cannon and Tethys Beam upgrades.

Chromatic MetalChromatic Metal

  • Group: Stellar
  • Rarity: Uncommon
  • Category: Metal

Chromatic Metal is a very important resource for late-game No Man’s Sky players. It is a critical resource needed to build advanced materials that expand the abilities of the player when it comes to building, combat, and exploration.

Once those upgrades have been achieved, it is still a useful resource as it can be refined into rare resources and high-end components. It can also be used for cooking Silicon Eggs with a Nutrient Processor.

Cobalt

Cobalt nomanssky

  • Group: Subterranean
  • Rarity: Common
  • Category: Earth

You’ll get Cobalt as you mine underground minerals, especially within caves. You will frequently need it to craft Ion Batteries and to produce a range of technologies and base structures.

Condensed Carbon

Condensed Carbon

  • Group: Organic
  • Rarity: Uncommon
  • Category: Fuel

Condensed Carbon is obtained by processing regular Carbon through a Refiner or by harvesting it from large crystals with the Advanced Mining Laser.

Once you have some, it can be used as a superior fuel source or to craft numerous base pieces and decorations. However, you should mostly use it as a cheap fuel source for powering your base and equipment.

Copper

Copper nomanssky

  • Group: Stellar
  • Rarity: Common
  • Category: Metal

Copper is produced through the fusion process at the heart of a yellow star, after which it can accumulate on the crusts of nearby planets. This allows players to find it in resource deposits on the surface of planets as well as rarely appearing as a secondary resource of minerals mined in caves.

There is a small range of upgrades and base decorations that Copper is used for, but the most common use for it is for the creation of Chromatic Metal.

Cyto-Phosphate

Cyto-Phosphate

  • Group: Organic Compound
  • Rarity: Common
  • Category: Earth

Found in the structure of underwater plant life, Cyto-Phosphate is subsequently used to develop technologies for exploring and thriving in submerged environments. It can also be used for Refining Condensed Carbon and Glass as well as crafting a handful of products.

Deuterium

Deuterium

  • Group: High Energy
  • Rarity: Rare
  • Category: Earth

Deuterium is an element that you won’t have to worry about very much. You can find plants rich in Deuterium to get a limited jetpack boost. If you want to get some to craft with, you’ll need to buy it, get it from refining, or dismantle technology with a lot of Deuterium in it.

Di-Hydrogen

Di-Hydrogen nomanssky

  • Group: High Energy
  • Rarity: Common
  • Category: Earth

Di-Hydrogen is a coveted resource in the universe because of its extremely dense structure, it’s a fantastic energy source. You’ll be using it mostly to fuel your Starship Launchers so that you can take off and continue your adventures.

Luckily, it can be found on almost every planet in the game in the form of blue crystals that can be mined.

Read also: Comprehensive No Man’s Sky Starship Guide.

Dioxite

Dioxite nomanssky

  • Group: Localized
  • Rarity: Uncommon
  • Category: Earth

Dioxite is a resource that can only be found on Frozen planets. It can be used to craft some useful upgrades like the Thermal Buffer and Layer or other items such as the Cyclotron Ballista.

Besides that, it is used in Refiner recipes to make other resources such as Grantine, Phosphorus, and Frost Crystal.

Emeril

Emeril

  • Group: Stellar
  • Rarity: Rare
  • Category: Metal

Emeril is found as resource deposits on the surface of planets orbiting Green Stars. You will most likely first need to gather some to craft the AtlasPass v3, but there are a few other components that it can be used for as well. It also is another metal that’s primary role is as a resource that can be refined into Chromatic Metal by late-game players.

Faecium

Faecium nomanssky

  • Group: Agricultural
  • Rarity: Uncommon
  • Category: Flora

Faecium is a resource taken from the Gutrot Flower, named after its eye-watering stench. However, it is very useful with numerous agricultural crafting recipes and Refiner recipes and can be cooked into Creature Pellets or Wild Yeast.

Ferrite Dust

Ferrite Dust

  • Group: Metallic
  • Rarity: Common
  • Category: Metal

Ferrite Dust is another one of the most common resources that you’ll see again and again throughout your adventures. It can be mined from rocks on the surface of nearly every planet.

Before it can be used, it must be run through a Refiner, but then it’s used for constructing bases and creating technology pieces.

Frost Crystal

Frost Crystal

  • Group: Agricultural
  • Rarity: Uncommon
  • Category: Flora

Frost Crystals are taken from the Frozen-climate plants called Frostwort. However, Frostwort can be grown at your base in any climate with the use of a Hydroponics Tray.

It is then used to craft Glass, Frostwort, and Heat Capacitors. It is also used to cook Ice Cream or with a Refiner to produce a few other resources.

Fungal Mold

Fungal Mold

  • Group: Agricultural
  • Rarity: Uncommon
  • Category: Flora

Fungal Mold can be harvested from a plant called Funal Clusters, which grow in toxic climates. It can only be harvested once the player has crafted and equipped the Haz-Mat Gauntlet to protect themselves from its caustic nature.

It can then be used to craft Acid and Fungal Clusters, cook Creature Pellets and Non-Toxic Mushrooms, and refine other resources.

Gamma Root

Gamma Root

  • Group: Agricultural
  • Rarity: Uncommon
  • Category: Flora

Gamma Root is obtained by harvesting the roots of Gamma Weeds. Gamma Weeds naturally appear on planets with high levels of radiation, but they can be grown anywhere through the use of a Hydroponics Tray.

Once harvested, it can be used to craft Gamma Weeds and Lubricant, cook Creature Pellets and Sievert Beans, and refine resources such as Uranium, Oxygen, and Carbon.

Gold

Gold nomanssky

  • Group: Asteroid
  • Rarity: Uncommon
  • Category: Exotic

Gold is a metal that is most easily found by mining Asteroids. It can also appear as loot from killing Pirates or as a rare secondary resource from some exotic plants. Gold is extremely useful for a range of purposes.

It can be used to craft flashy base decorations, is an integral part of multiple upgrade components, and can be a valuable trading resource to make extra units through merchant routes.

It also can be used in some refiner recipes, but its value is so high that I recommend avoiding using it for them.

Hexite

hexite nomanssky

  • Group: Organic
  • Rarity: Rare
  • Category: Special

Hexite is a mineral-rich resource found in fecal matter. It is a pivotal resource for building the Consciousness Bridge and for creating Nanite Clusters in a Refiner. The most efficient way to get Hexite is through rewards given by guild NPCs and killing Crystal Elementals on Exotic Shard Planets.

Indium

Indium nomanssky

  • Group: Stellar
  • Rarity: Rare
  • Category: Metal

Indium is a metal resource that is mined from resource deposits on planets that orbit Blue Stars. It is used to craft a couple of components but is a necessary component for upgrades such as the Reality De-threader and Temporal Warp Computer. It is also another resource that can be refined into Chromatic Metal.

Ionized Cobalt

Ionized Cobalt

  • Group: Subterranean
  • Rarity: Rare
  • Category: Earth

You’ll get Ionized Cobalt by putting Cobalt through a Refiner to draw out the resource’s innate energy as much as possible. Ionize Cobalt is then used as an ingredient in developing advanced technologies and structures, but I recommend using it most of the time to make Advanced Ion Batteries to power your Exosuit.

Kelp Sac

Kelp Sac

  • Group: Agricultural
  • Rarity: Uncommon
  • Category: Flora

Kelp Sacs are harvested from Candle Kelp plants found underwater. They are mostly used to craft Weatherproof Rubber but can also be refined into numerous resources or cooked into Kelp Rice.

Liquid Sun

Liquid Sun nomanssky

  • Group: Special
  • Rarity: Common
  • Category: Special

To get Liquid Sun, you have to mine metallic terrain deposits once you get access to a Solar Ray. Its only use is to either sell it for units or to craft the Whalesong Flute and Pulsating Core.

Living Slime

Living Slime nomanssky

  • Group: Junk
  • Rarity: Uncommon
  • Category: Special

Living Slime is found in Damaged Machinery or Derelict Freighters, as well as sometimes coming from animals on Exotic Planets. It is not a very useful resource, so you should just sell it or use it in a Refiner to get some Runaway Mold if you need it.

Magnetized Ferrite

Magnetized Ferrite

  • Group: Metallic
  • Rarity: Uncommon
  • Category: Metal

The only way to get Magnetized Ferrite is by running combinations of resources through a Refiner, such as two Pure Ferrite. It is then used for crafting more advanced interactable base components as well as some Refiner recipes.

Marrow Bulb

Marrow Bulb nomanssky

  • Group: Agricultural
  • Rarity: Uncommon
  • Category: Flora

Marrow Bulbs are gathered from Cave Marrow plants that can be found underground. These plants are unable to be farmed in any way, so you’ll have to hunt them down in the wild to find any.

They can then be cooked into Creature Pellets and Marrow Flesh or used in a Refiner to make Sodium, Sodium Nitrate, or Ionised Cobalt.

Mordite

  • Group: Harvested
  • Rarity: Uncommon
  • Category: Earth

Mordite is a crystalline resource that is found in Mordite Roots and is produced by the decaying corpses of creatures. It also can be gotten by refining certain combinations of other resources.

Once you have Mordite, you can use it to craft a small number of components, refine other resources, or cook useful recipes such as Creature Pellets.

Nanite Cluster

Nanite Cluster

  • Group: Special
  • Rarity: Rare
  • Category: Special

Nanite Clusters are a resource that doubles as a special currency. It is earned for numerous activities in the game, with searching Abandoned Buildings, uploading Discoveries, killing Sentinels, and Space Encounters, to name just a few.

You’ll naturally gather a lot of Nanite Clusters as you play and likely won’t have to worry about finding them too often. Once you get some, you can spend them at certain vendors, use them to upgrade your gear, pay Travellers, or refine them into various resources.

Continue reading about Nanites in No Man’s Sky.

Nitrogen

Nitrogen nomanssky

  • Group: Gas
  • Rarity: Uncommon
  • Category: Earth

Nitrogen is an atmospheric gas native to Lush and Toxic planet environments that is gathered using an Atmosphere Harvester. It also can be found in some Resource Deposits, but those are rare. Its only crafting recipe is to produce Nitrogen Salt, but it is also used in refining recipes for Faecium, Fungal Mould, Sodium Nitrate, and others.

Oxygen

Oxygen nomanssky

  • Group: Organic
  • Rarity: Common
  • Category: Fuel

Oxygen can be used to craft base pieces for oxygenating rooms or can be combined with other items in a refiner to make organic resources. However, most of the time that you use Oxygen, it should be to recharge your Life Support system so that you don’t suffocate while exploring inhospitable planets. It can be found by harvesting planets that are located with your suit’s scanner or as a secondary resource from plant life.

Paraffinium

Paraffinium

  • Group: Localized
  • Rarity: Uncommon
  • Category: Earth

Paraffinium is a resource that most commonly appears on planets with a tropical ecosystem on its surface. It is most often found in resource deposits that can be scanned for or as a secondary resource to some materials.

Paraffinium is not the most useful resource but is used to craft some components as well as refining for other resources like Star Bulbs and Aronium.

Phosphorus

Phosphorus nomanssky

  • Group: Localized
  • Rarity: Uncommon
  • Category: Earth

Phosphorus appears in resource deposits inside Scorched environments as well as being found on Mega Exotic planets that sit in Red solar systems. It can also be refined from a few different recipes that use up Salt, Solanium, Ferrite Dust, and Dioxite.

Once you have Phosphorus, it is mostly used for creating crafting components and some useful items like the Megawatt Heater, Noise Box, and Coolant Network. Beyond that, it is also useful for refining other resources.

Platinum

platinum nomanssky

  • Group: Asteroid
  • Rarity: Rare
  • Category: Exotic

Platinum is another metal that can be found by mining asteroids. It is an extremely valuable metal for trading but can also be used for crafting some components and upgrades, such as the Advanced Translator. If you’re hoping to make units from mining, you’ll want to get as much Platinum as you can.

Pugneum

Pugneum

  • Group: Anomalous
  • Rarity: Rare
  • Category: Special

Pugneum acts as the lifeblood of Sentinels. You can see it shoot out from their circuitry as you damage them, and looting defeated Sentinels is the only way to harvest it. It can be used to refine other resources, but the most useful way to use Pugneum is to create robotic elements such as the Consciousness Bridge, Exocraft Mining Laser Upgrade Sigma, and Minotaur Cannon.

Pure Ferrite

Pure Ferrite

  • Group: Metallic
  • Rarity: Uncommon
  • Category: Metal

Pure Ferrite is the product of running Ferrite Dust through a Refiner but can occasionally be mined with an Advanced Mining Laser. It is then used for building the majority of base pieces.

Pyrite

Pyrite

  • Group: Localized
  • Rarity: Uncommon
  • Category: Earth

Pyrite is known as a localized resource, meaning that it only appears on desert planets. There, it appears in resource deposits and as a secondary resource in other minerals.

Pyrite is primarily used in refining recipes for other resources as well as an ingredient for crafting Dirty Bronze and Echinocactus.

Radon

radon

  • Group: Gas
  • Rarity: Uncommon
  • Category: Earth

Radon is a gaseous resource that naturally appears in Frozen and Radioactive environments when high-energy resources begin to decay.

It can be gathered by setting up Atmosphere Harvesters or Gas Extractors on those planets and is used to craft Enriched Carbon. It also can be used to refine other resources like Frost Crystals and Uranium.

Residual Goop

Residual Goop

  • Group: Junk
  • Rarity: Common
  • Category: Special

Residual Goop is found covering terminals in Abandoned Buildings. It has no crafting or cooking uses but can be refined into Gold or Viscous Fluids.

Runaway Mold

Runaway Mold

  • Group: Junk
  • Rarity: Uncommon
  • Category: Special

Runaway Mold is most commonly given to the player by Guild Representatives or as a reward for completing Nexus missions. Once gotten, it can only be used with a Refiner to make Nanite Clusters.

Rusted Metal

Rusted Metal

  • Group: Junk
  • Rarity: Common
  • Category: Special

Rusted Metal is found frequently in Damaged Containers found across most planets in the game. It can be sold for a small profit or be used with a Refiner in return for some Ferrite Dust.

Salt

salt

  • Group: Aquatic
  • Rarity: Common
  • Category: Earth

Salt is found while harvesting minerals in the underwater areas of planets, as a secondary resource, or in large resource deposits. While Salt can be used to make Chlorine and plays a role in a few specific crafting recipes, you should use it most often for recipes created in a Nutrient Processor.

Silicate Powder

Silicate Powder

  • Group: Metallic
  • Rarity: Common
  • Category: Metal

Silicate Powder is found throughout the ground on Rocky Worlds that can be gathered using a Terrain manipulator. Once you have it, it can be used in a Refiner to produce glass or can be used to craft concrete and stone base components.

Silver

silver nomanssky

  • Group: Asteroid
  • Rarity: Common
  • Category: Exotic

Silver is most commonly gathered by mining asteroids or can be found in rare resource deposits on the surface of planets. It can also occasionally appear as a secondary resource for minerals in caves.

Until you get a Freighter, I recommend just selling Silver as a decent way to make units early on in the game. Once you get a Freighter, you’ll need a lot of it to craft interior base building components to customize it.

Sodium

sodium no man's sky

  • Group: Catalytic
  • Rarity: Uncommon
  • Category: Catalyst

Sodium can be harvested as a Secondary Resource in some rocks, from picking yellow flowers, or in Resource Deposits. It is an important part of many crafting recipes for your base, as well as being an ingredient in many advanced devices and components that you’ll need later in the game. It is also a useful resource to charge defensive elements of your base and your suit’s hazard protection systems.

Sodium Nitrate

Sodium Nitrate

  • Group: Catalytic
  • Rarity: Rare
  • Category: Catalyst

Sodium Nitrate can also be used as a dense charging technology for defensive base elements or your suit’s hazard protection.

It is most commonly gotten by running Sodium through a Refiner, but you can also rarely find it in deposits on some planets. Sodium Nitrate can also be used to craft some of the very advanced components for crafting.

Solanium

solanium

  • Group: Agricultural
  • Rarity: Uncommon
  • Category: Flora

Solanium is a resource gathered from Solar Vine plants found in hot climates. It can be used to craft Heat Capacitors and Solar Vines, cooked in Solartillo and Creature Pellets, and refined into resources like Oxygen, Phosphorus, and Carbon.

Somnal Dust

somnal dust

  • Group: Special
  • Rarity: Common
  • Category: Special

Somnal Dust is a unique resource that is only found on Derelict Freighters. It can be sold for decent prices or can be used to craft a Whalesong Flute.

Star Bulb

Star Bulb

  • Group: Agricultural
  • Rarity: Rare
  • Category: Flora

Star Bulbs are taken from the Star Bramble plant found in Lush planetary regions with the Haz-Mat Gauntlet. It can then be crafted into Poly Fibre and Star Bramble, cooked into Creature Pellets and Pilgrimberry, or refined into Paraffinium, Oxygen, and Carbon.

Sulphurine

Sulphurine

  • Group: Gas
  • Rarity: Uncommon
  • Category: Earth

Sulphurine is an atmospheric gas that can be dangerous to organic life in high doses. It can be found in some Resource Depots, but the most accessible way to gather it is by using Atmosphere Harvesters on the surface of planets classified as Desert and Scorched. It can then be used for crafting the Thermic Condensate component as well as refining other resources such as Faecium and Radon.

Tainted Metal

Tainted Metal

  • Group: Localized
  • Rarity: Uncommon
  • Category: Special

Tainted Metal is a resource that is only found during Derelict Freighters that are found floating adrift in Space or by giving Crew Manifests and Captain’s Logs to Guild Envoys or Scrap Dealers.

The only uses of Tainted Metal are to trade it with Scrap Dealers in exchange for cosmetics and suspicious items or to use in a Refiner to create Nanite Clusters.

Tritium

Tritium

  • Group: High Energy
  • Rarity: Common
  • Category: Exotic

Tritium can be used to fuel the Pulse Engines of your Starships, but you’ll only want to do so early in the game. Once you get further and get a Freighter, you’ll need tons of Tritium to build base items and upgrades inside of it.

Thankfully, it can easily be mined in large quantities from asteroids.

Uranium

Uranium

  • Group: Localized
  • Rarity: Uncommon
  • Category: Earth

Uranium is the Localized resource associated with Radioactive environments as well as being harvested from Metal Fingers. It is used in a decent range of crafting recipes, but the most notable ones are the Autonomous Mining Unit, Exocraft Summoning Stations, and Radiation Deflectors. It also plays a role in a lot of Refiner recipes, so there are plenty of uses for gathering it whenever you come across some.

Viscous Fluids

Viscous Fluids

  • Group: Junk
  • Rarity: Uncommon
  • Category: Special

You’ll find Viscous Fluids in Damaged Machinery, where it must be removed to repair the contraption. Its only use is a Refiner recipe that results in Living Slime.

FAQs

Question: What resources should you stockpile in No Man’s Sky?

Answer: You should always keep all of your Oxygen, Tritium, Carbon, Uranium, and Sodium as they all are necessary fuels for your most critical systems.

Question: Do resources respawn in No Man’s Sky?

Answer: Yes, but only after a planet has no players on it for a short while.

Question: What is the most valuable resource in No Man’s Sky?

Answer: The most expensive resource is Activated Indium. It sells for 900 units each, which is a quick way to net a trading profit.

Conclusion

Resources are the foundation that No Man’s Sky is built on. Regardless of whether you want to be a space trader, build a jaw-dropping base at a cool location, or upgrade your gear to become a feared pilot.

Gathering, refining, and crafting resources takes up a lot of time in a playthrough, so knowing where to get exactly what you need is paramount to helping cut down on the amount of time you spend doing so.

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