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No Man's Sky guide: All upgrades for your Exosuit, Multi-tool and starship

Got blueprints? Us, too.

By Jeffrey Parkin Aug 31, 2016, 9:45am EDT

Jeffrey Parkin (he/him) has been writing video game guides for Polygon for almost seven years. He has learned to love just about every genre of game that exists.

No Man's Sky would like you to upgrade your gear — all of it, dozens of times, with a smorgasbord Companion Units. To build them, you can find blueprints behind aliens, buildings, canisters, damaged machinery, puzzles, wall-mounted contraptions — pretty much everywhere you look.

Find a Companion Unit blueprint, gather the material you need to craft it, and find an empty inventory slot where you can install it, and your Exosuit, Multi-tool and starship become more powerful. Place likeminded upgrades next to each other, and you get a bonus.

There are 18 quintillion planets in No Man's Sky. There are quite a few less blueprints. Play long enough, and you'll begin to get repeats. Play longer than that, and all you'll find is an endless series of duplicate blueprints.

Still, blueprints and Companion Units will make your game easier. In this guide, you'll find a quick way to reference blueprint and Companion Units — and the elements you'll need to build them.

Exosuit upgrades

Ah, your trusty Exosuit. Where would you be without its life support, health, shield, stamina, hazard protection, aeration and jetpack systems? (Dead. You'd be super dead without them.)

Life Support

You Exosuit's Life Support is an isotope-powered system that keeps you alive. There are two Companion Units you can add to extend the power of your Life Support system: Life Support Module Sigma and Life Support Module Tau.

Health Modules

Health Module Companion Units extend the amount of time you can survive after your Life Support systems have failed and do not need to be refueled. There are three Companion Unit Health Modules: Health Module Sigma, Health Module Tau and Health Module Theta.

Shieldboosts

Shieldboost Companion Units strengthen and extend the abilities of your suit's shield. There are three upgrades available: Shieldboost Theta, Shieldboost Tau and Shieldboost Sigma.

Stamina Enhancements

While nothing is going to make you an Olympic sprinter or marathoner in No Man's Sky, there are Companion Units that will lengthen your sprint ability. There are three available: Stamina Enhancement Sigma, Stamina Enhancement Theta, Stamina Enhancement Tau.

Jetpack Boosters

The three Jetpack Booster Companion Units — Jetpack Booster Sigma, Jetpack Booster Tau and Jetpack Booster Theta — expand the length of time you can run your jetpack.

Hazard Protection

Your Exosuit has built-in Hazard Protection that provides a basic level of protection from all environmental hazards. There are four types of Hazard Protection with three Companion Units each. They correspond to the four types of hazardous planets you'll encounter TKTKTK. Oxides powers Hazard Protection Companion Units.

Thermic Layers

Thermic Layers are long underwear for your Exosuit. Thermic Layer Sigma, Thermic Layer Tau and Thermic Layer Theta keep you warm on cold planets.

Coolant Networks

Coolant Networks provide relief from hot planets. There are three: Coolant Network Sigma, Coolant Network Tau, Coolant Network Theta.

Toxin Suppressors

Toxin Suppressors turn your Exosuit into a (temporary) biohazard suit. There are three discoverable upgrades: Toxin Suppressor Sigma, Toxin Suppressor Tau, Toxin Suppressor Theta.

Radiation Deflectors

Radiation Deflectors provide protection from radiation on reactive planets. You can find three upgrades: Radiation Deflector Sigma, Radiation Deflector Tau, Radiation Deflector Theta.

Aeration Membranes

For extended underwater exploration, there are three Companion Units that increase the amount of time you can spend underwater: Aeration Membrane Sigma, Aeration Membrane Tau, Aeration Membrane Theta.

Multi-Tool upgrades

Ah, your trusty Multi-tool. If you couldn't shoot Sentinels or destroy rocks with laser beams, what would you do?

Mining beam

The most basic function of your Multi-tool is its laser-like Mining Beam. You'll use your Mining Beam for resource collection and, if you like, offense. Companion Unit upgrades increase the rate of resource collection with Beam Intensifier Sigma, Beam Intensifier Tau, Beam Intensifier Theta, Beam Focus Sigma, Beam Focus Tau and Beam Focus Theta; damage inflicted against Sentinels with Combat Amplifier Tau, Combat Amplifier Sigma, Combat Amplifier Omega and Combat Amplifier Theta; and the amount of time before you Multi-tool overheats with Beam Coolant System Sigma, Beam Coolant System Tau and Beam Coolant System Theta.

Analysis visor and Scanner

Building the Analysis Visor allows you to scan and identify plants, animals and minerals. Scanner upgrades Rangeboost Sigma and Rangeboost Tau increase the distance your scanner reaches.

Boltcaster

Adding the Boltcaster Companion Unit turns your Multi-tool into a gun. Additional Companion Units increase how fast you can shoot with with Rapidfire Sigma, Rapidfire Tau and Rapidfire Theta; impact damage with Impact Damage Sigma, Impact Damage Tau, Impact Damage Theta and Impact Damage Omega; physical damage with Boltcaster SM; homing shots with the Homingshot Adapter; rate of fire and clip size with Boltcaster Clip Sigma, Boltcaster Clip Tau and Boltcaster Clip Theta; the amount that you gun will move on its own when you shoot with Recoil Stabilizer Sigma, Recoil Stabilizer Tau and Recoil Stabilizer Theta; your reload speed with Reload Accelerant Tau, Reload Accelerant Theta, Reload Accelerant Sigma; shot ricochet with Ricochet Sigma, Ricochet Tau, Ricochet Theta; a short burst adapter with, well, Shortbutst Adapter; and tuning your Multi-tool to release a single, powerful shot with each pull of the trigger using the Wideshot Adapter.

Grenades

For more intensive mining operations and brush-clearing or to introduce those aggressive spider-crabs to the wonders of air travel, grenades are (as is so often the case) the answer.

Starship upgrades

Ah, your starship — whichever one you happen to have right now. It's trusty, sure. It's also disposable. No matter what your make and model, it's upgradable, too.

Launch thruster

Your ship's Plutonium-powered Launch Thrusters are for transitioning from not-flying to flying. You can learn the blueprint for the Launch Thruster, but you can never destroy or build it. There are no Companion Units to add onto your Launch Thruster.

Pulse engine

Fueled by Thamium9, your Pulse Engine is for interplanetary travel and has an impact on your speed, fuel consumption and maneuverability while boosting. Upgrades include the Photonix Core, Pulse Jet Sigma and and Pulse Jet Tau, all of which provide increased maneuverability and longer boosts.

Hyperdrive

Your ship's Hyperdrive allows interstellar travel. The Warp Reactor Sigma, Warp Reactor Tau and Warp Reactor Theta Companion Units increase the linear distance you can travel and allow you to visit other types of stars.

Deflector shield

Your ship's Deflector Shields provide your first line of defense against impact and attack. Strengthen your Oxide-powered defenses with the Deflection Enhancement Sigma, Deflection Enhancement Tau, Deflection Enhancement Theta Companion Units.

Photon cannon

The Photon Cannon is your starship's primary weapon. Increase your rate of fire with Accelerated Fire Sigma, Accelerated Fire Tau and Accelerated Fire Theta; shoot longer and slow overheating with Advanced Cooling Sigma, Advanced Cooling Theta and Advanced Cooling Tau; and fire faster with the Canon Damage Sigma, Canon Damage Theta and Canon Damage Tau Companion Units.

Phase beam

On your starship, the Phase Beam is the equivalent of your Multi-tool's Mining Beam. Destroy asteroids and starships faster with Beam Impact Sigma, Beam Impact Tau, Beam Impact Theta; fire longer with Phase Coolant Sigma, Phase Coolant Tau and Phase Coolant Theta.

Would you like to know more?

No Man's Sky is a largely solitary experience, but you don't have to travel the universe alone.

This is just one small section of Polygon's No Man's Sky guide. Be sure to check out the rest, where you can learn all about your ship, your Multi-Tool and Companion Units and even get answers to some of the biggest questions about No Man's Sky. We also have a guide to No Man's Sky's resources that'll teach you the difference between Oxides and Silicates as we explain No Man's Sky's elements.

And if you're just looking for a quick reference guide to locations, like where you can save and trade — we've got you covered — too.

No Man's Sky guide: All upgrades for your Exosuit, Multi-tool and starship