At some point during your time in the oceans of Subnautica, you will find that you can no longer progress without the use of vehicles and more powerful tools. These tools all need batteries, which need charging. The problem is, Subnautica isn’t too clear from the start on how you charge batteries.
The last thing you want in Subnautica is to be caught out in the ocean, surrounded by leviathans, with dead batteries and no way to use your vehicles or tools.
It’s worth noting that there are some differences in crafting materials required to make batteries and other items between Subnautica and Subnautica Below Zero.
Table of contents
How to Build a Battery Charger in Subnautica
To charge your batteries you simply need to build a battery charger. Once built, it will be able to charge up to four batteries at a time, giving you plenty of power to keep exploring.
At this point, you should already have a habitat builder and some form of a basic base. If you don’t, you will need to get both before worrying about charging batteries.
Before you can build the battery charger you need to find two battery charger fragments, which can be found around any of the wrecks of the Grassy Plateaus.
Once you have the fragments, you can craft a battery charger with the following items:
- Wiring kit
- Copper Wire
- Titanium
How to Make a Wiring Kit in Subnautica
To create a Wiring Kit, which is an item needed to craft a battery charger in Subnautica, you’ll need two Silver Ore. You can find Silver Ore by breaking Sandstone Outcrops or harvesting Barnacles. It’s available in many biomes of Subnautica including Bulb Zone, Crash Zone, Dunes, Kelp Forest, Mountains, and more.
In Subnautica Below Zero, you’ll still need two Silver Ore to make a Wiring Kit. However, the ore can be found by breaking Argentite Outcrops and Rocks.
How to Make Copper Wire in Subnautica
Copper Wire is made from two Copper Ore. Copper Orein Subnautica can be found inside Limestone Outcrops, or inside Barnacles. If you’re playing Subnautica Below Zero, the process is the same, however, Copper Ore can be found in Limestone Outcrops and Rock (instead of Barnacles).
How to Find Titanium in Subnautica
Titanium is used to craft many items in Subnautica. You can find Titanium in Limestone Outcrops, Metal Salvage (crafted), or by scanning Fragments for Blueprints that you have already learned.
Subnautica Below Zero players can obtain Titanium by breaking Limestone, Argentite, Calaverite, and Galena Outcrops, as well as Rocks. Similarly, you can craft Titanium from Metal Salvage and scan already learned Fragments as you do in Subnautica.
How to Build a Battery in Subnautica
If your batteries run out before you have managed to find the battery charger fragments, instead of spending too much time looking for the fragments, you might be better off simply creating new batteries as a temporary measure.
To make batteries in Subnautica, you don’t need to find any fragments, you can simply craft them in the fabricator.
Subnautica:
- 2x Acid Mushroom
- 1x Copper Ore
Subnautica Below Zero:
- 2x Ribbon Plant
- 1x Copper Ore
There are some spots in both Subnautica and Subnautica Below Zero where you can find batteries, instead of needing to build them.
In the original Subnautica game, you can find lots of batteries on the Aurora, and in Subnautica Below Zero, you can find batteries in the Crash Zone, Wrecks, and Bulb Zone.
Whilst the normal battery is easy to build and great for early game, there is another battery that holds more charge, and is required for vehicles.
The Ion battery holds around 5 times more energy than the normal battery in Subnautica, however, it also takes much longer to charge.
Yes, each battery charger will charge up to four batteries and you can have as many battery chargers as your base has space to accommodate.
