How to Build an Outpost in Starfield

Outposts: where companions go to die

Outposts are your go-to asset for resource gathering the wild, intergalactic west of Starfield. Here’s how Outposts work and how to build one in Starfield.

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Starfield: How to Build Outposts

If you want to modify your weapons, craft medicine, or even summon potted plants from the ether, you’re going to need resources. And the best way to passively accumulate resources is through Outposts. On any planet you land on, you can build an Outpost. But the ability to do so isn’t automatic. Open your Scanner, and you’ll see that the planet you’re on has a certain number of resources that need to be discovered. Discover each of these resources, and you’ll then be able to build an Outpost.

Screenshot by Prima Games

Once all resources are discovered, the button prompt to build Outposts at the bottom of your screen will become white. Press that button, and you’ll be taken into Modify Mode. In the top left corner of the screen, you’ll see all the available resources you can mine on that planet. But note you’ll need to have access to a vein of that resource to mine it.

You’ll then be able to put your Outpost anywhere where it won’t interfere with another object in the area.

Related: Best Starting Backgrounds in Starfield

Once an Outpost is established, you can create Extractors that will automatically mine resources, create transfer containers that will allow you to pick up resources from your ship, and build entire hubs. These hubs can then have crew members stationed at them, along with cooking stations, workbenches, and research labs.

You can even decorate these hubs like a house in a city, with beds, posters, and potted plants.

Note each item you build will require a resource. Extractors, for example, usually require Aluminum, Nickel, and Copper. But one item I must recommend, once you have the basics like the Outpost, Extractor, and Power Source in order, is the Landing Pad. This will make it significantly easier to touch base on the planet to grab the resource you’ve mined.

You can recruit quite a few people in Starfield. And some of these companions have abilities that make Outpost Management a breeze!

About the Author

Daphne Fama

A Staff Writer at Prima Games since 2022, Daphne Fama spends an inordinate amount playing games of all stripes but has a soft spot for horror, FPS, and RPGs. When she’s not gaming, she’s an author and member of the Horror Writers Association with a debut novel coming out in 2025. In a previous life, she was an attorney but found she preferred fiction to contracts and forms