All Outpost Modules & What They Do in Starfield

There is a seemingly infinite amount of things to do across the vast and colorful galaxy of Starfield, and one of the most fun and also the most important of them is the building of Outposts. You can create them on just about any planet or moon in the game, and when constructed properly they provide an endless supply of valuable resources for all your needs. Just like with building ships, Outposts have several types of modules you use to construct the perfect manufacturing hub. If you’re wondering what they all are, here is our handy guide for all Outpost Modules and what they do in Starfield.

Where & How to Build an Outpost in Starfield

The process of building your first Outpost can seem a little daunting, particularly in terms of where you should build one, and everything it should have. The game leaves it very open-ended for you to make those choices, and you essentially can build one on any planet (save for gas giants) or moon you want. You even can on those with extreme climates or other hazardous conditions, provided you have the Master-tier “Planetary Habitation” skill ranked up.

A good place to start, we’ve found, is on a Moon with a non-hazardous climate and naught but useful resources for the taking, with no fauna to interfere with operations, and few instances for spacers and pirates to pay a visit. This is an easy way to get your feet wet with the mechanics of outpost building and functionality, without having to worry about outside threats (at least very few).

That said, when you’ve picked a spot somewhere, all you have to do is open your Scanner and then select the ‘Outpost’ option (‘R’ on PC; ‘X’ on console) on a non-restricted area. This will establish your Build Area, in which you can construct the modules you want, and that will be most effective for resource allocation and keeping your Outpost machinery and crew safe and productive.

Also, as you rank up your “Outpost Engineering” skill, you’ll be able to build bigger and more complex module structures. As we uncover more of them, we’re including all of the modules you can unlock with max rank.

For more details on Outpost construction and management, you can check out our other guides such as getting 3 Outposts built right away.

All Outpost Modules & What They Do

Extractor Modules

These modules are responsible for your resource allocation needs, and they all power to operate, which you can manage with Power Source modules. Also, the types of Extractors available in your Build menu will vary depending on the resource veins in the vicinity of your Outpost beacon. As seen above, if the only resource in your Build Area is Aluminum, that’s the only type of Extractor that will be available to build. As different planets have different resources, there are a wide variety of options.

There are three tier models of Extractors that can be built:

• Base Model
• Commercial Model
• Industrial Model

Each of these model types requires different amounts of construction materials, along with different production outputs and Operating Costs. As long as you have the necessary amount of power, you can build as many Extractors as you want at your Outpost, as long as it doesn’t exceed the ‘Build Limit’ at the bottom of your Build Menu HUD.

Power Modules

These modules serve as vital sources of power for other modules in your Outpost that require it to function. They harness various means of power generation, so make sure you build ones suitable for the environment, and for your resource supplies.

Storage Modules

You use these modules as storage for the resources your Extractor modules gather. There are different containers for different types of resources, and one can even transfer them straight from your ship’s Cargo Hold.

Builder Modules

Builder modules are, quite literally, for building various components you commonly need for other modules in your Outpost. This can save you a lot of travel time and credits for certain items, with not having to travel back and forth from cities back to your Outpost(s). Make note that they require both power and the resource materials needed to build the components.

Structure Modules

These modules are for building habitable structures within your Outpost, where employed crew members can safely reside and work to maintain operations. There are different “habs” with different looks, along with hallways to help interconnect them, and watchtowers for security to keep watch for threats.

Crafting Modules

Just as back in developed cities, you can have your own crafting stations at your Outposts with these modules, with everything from cooking, to research, to weapons, and spacesuit design. They can be very handy when you have a consistent flow of resources coming in.

Defense Modules

As you can guess, Defense Modules are for maintaining secure defenses around the perimeter of your Outpost, to fend off any creatures or invasive pirates who want to come knocking. Starting out, you can have up to 6 Turrets total around your Outpost.

Robot Modules

That’s right, you can built your very own set of VASCO lookalikes for your Outpost, as well as other robots purposed for sanitation around your “habs”. Starting out, you can have up to 3 Robots within your Outpost. They also provide passive production buffs.

Furniture Modules

Of course, after building all the practical needs for your Outpost, it needs to have plenty of cosmic flair and decor to go with it. There are a good variety of options to start out with, to help you and your crew feel a little more at home. Some of them do serve practical purposes, such as beds for resting and navigation consoles.

Decoration Modules

Similar to Furniture modules, these are a variety of Decoration modules you can use to accentuate your habs, to make them more lived in and inviting for you and the crew.

Display Modules

Similar to what you can put on your spaceship or another abode, Display modules are built to display a variety of possessions, from weapons, to data slates, to spacesuits. Granted, we don’t necessarily recommend putting some of your best gear or legendary weapons on public display in place that can potentially get raided without you knowing, so choose wisely.

Miscellaneous Modules

They may be called “Miscellaneous”, but this category includes some of the best modules you can have for your Outpost. There’s nothing quite like being able to build ships anywhere.

That concludes our guide to all Outpost modules and what they do in Starfield. We hope you found this helpful for your Outpost building endeavors, and let us know what your setup of choice is and where in the galaxy.

Be sure to check out all of our other guides for Starfield, as well as our official review of the game.