Returnal: How to Get Underwater Items & Swim

If you’re anything like me, you had to be damaged by the water in Returnal several times before you realized that maybe, just maybe you couldn’t actually get them just yet. While those Silphium healing items taunt you from under the surface, the good news is they won’t be safe from your grasp forever. In this guide, we’ll talk you through how to swim and get underwater items in Returnal.

Getting Underwater Items in Returnal

To get those underwater items in Returnal, you’ll need to get an ability called Hadal Ballasts.

Hadal Ballasts are unlocked upon beating the fifth biome, Fractured Wasted. The good news is that you can’t miss getting the Hadal Ballasts, as their unlock is part of the story just as the Atropian Blade and Icarian Grapnel (grappling hook) were before it. Selene will stumble upon a corpse wearing them and will add them to her suit, as she did with the previous power-ups.

Once you’ve got the Hadal Ballasts, all you need to do is jump into these pools of water and you’ll automatically sink to the bottom, allowing you to pick up the items that have eluded you for so long. To pick up the items, simply press Triangle when you’re stood by them, just as you would any other item.

When you’re done swimming and picking up underwater items in Returnal, press X to jump back out of the water and continue on with your adventure.

That’s everything you need to know on swimming and getting underwater items in Returnal. For more tips, tricks and guides, head over to our wiki or see more of our coverage on the game below.