What the O2 & CO2 Meters Mean in Starfield, Explained

We all need oxygen to survive, and carbon dioxide kills us. Makes sense, right? Apply that same logic to Starfield, and you’ll more or less get an idea of what these meters mean in the game. Here’s everything you need to know about the O2 and CO2 meters in Starfield.

Starfield O2 and CO2 Meters Explained

To put things simply, the O2 gauge in the bottom left of the screen in Starfield represents your stamina. Whenever you press the L3 button to sprint, your O2 gauge depletes slowly. Once it’s completely gone, the red CO2 gauge will start to fill up.

You’ll still be able to spring even as the CO2 gauge increases, but if you let it fill up all the way, you’ll start taking damage, and you may even contract Lung Disease if you do this for a prolonged period of time.

When your CO2 starts building up, you’ll want to stop sprinting and just walk at a normal pace to let it go down, and to let your O2 meter recharge. Maintaining a healthy balance between O2 and CO2 will keep your character safe, and it’s something you should be aware of at all times.

How to Increase Oxygen Capacity and Stamina in Starfield

There are two ways to increase your oxygen capacity in Starfield: by equipping gear with O2-enhancing mods, or by leveling up the Fitness skill.

You can improve your helmet, jetpack, and suit by interacting with a spacesuit workbench and installing mods that increase your O2 reserves. It’s also possible to find gear out in the wild that come pre-installed with these mods.

The more straightforward method is simply by investing points into the Fitness skill as you level up. By ranking up Fitness, you can increase your oxygen capacity by up to 30%. In addition to that, if you level it up completely, sprinting and performing melee attacks will also consume less O2 than usual.

That’s all you need to know about how the O2 and CO2 meters work in Starfield. Be sure to search for Twinfinite for more tips and information on the game.