Starfield: How To Choose Best Planet For An Outpost

The Starfield Best Planet For Outpost guide will show the best way to build a habitable outpost with the recommended resources!

Starfield has barely just been released, and players are excited to build their dreams’ outposts. Of course, this decision process includes taking into account the total resources that they might have while also needing to maintain the actual outpost and protect it.

Important: I recommend that players use the correct resources to make an outpost on a habitable planet.
Key Takeaways
  • Planets in Starfield are needed to build a proper outpost and help your base flourish. 
  • To choose a planet in Starfield, players must go to the planet of choice, scan it for adequate resources, and plant a beacon. 
  • Planets that have hazardous or extreme environments should be avoided at every cost. 
  • Resources such as iron, aluminum, and copper are recommended to look out for when searching for the perfect planet. 
  • Accessing a beacon is done by holding down the R key while scanning the planet, after which it can be placed down to mark your spot.
  • Placing down items can be done by increasing or decreasing the height of the constructables. 

Planet Outposts And What You Can Get

Below listed is a summarized version of things to look out for when searching for the Starfield Best Planet For Outpost:

Starfield Best Planet For Outpost Descriptions
Recommended ResourcesIron, Copper, Aluminum
Resources To Have On HandAluminum, Copper, Tungsten, Beryllium
Planets To AvoidPlanets with harsh environments.

Outpost Construction

Starfield Outpost Construction
Outpost Construction

I think one of the first things that players need to know is whether they need to progress in Starfield before they can choose a planet for their outpost, and the simple answer is no. Players can focus and choose their outposts from the get-go. 

  • Players should focus on building their outposts in vast areas, allowing more resources to be constructed and placed down. 
  • Other than that, players also need to consider their resources when choosing a planet. 

There are countless planets to choose from when picking your outpost in Starfield; therefore, I recommend choosing the one with a solid amount of resources. 

How To Choose An Outpost In Starfield

Starfield How To Choose An Outpost
How To Choose An Outpost

Moving on, when it comes to actually choosing an outpost, I discovered that there aren’t any pre-requisite quests holding you back while building your outpost. 

  1. All you need to do is head over to the planet of your choice, ensure that you have surveyed it beforehand, and land there. 
  2. After landing, you want to open your scanner, and after opening it, you want to enter your R key. 
  3. By doing this, you can access a beacon, which can then be placed down to claim your position on the planet.
  4. The best place to build your outpost will be in a flatter plane.
  5. Therefore, you should ideally land in a spot that has a good topography and make sure not to go towards too many rocks as it can hinder your building process.
  6. Some planets you choose for your Starfield Best Planet For Outpost may also have hostile creatures; therefore, using turrets can prove worthy. 

Whenever you start on a location, you will start by having access to 8 outposts given to you. However, using skills such as Planetary Habitation will allow you to increase the number of outposts you might have. 

Important: Planetary Habitation can be leveled to rank 4, allowing you to increase the number of outposts built by 16.

Surveying A Planet

Starfield Surveying A Planet
Surveying A Planet

After you have placed down your first beacon towards your right, there will be a list of items you can construct, such as generators, power supplies, structures such as Outpost Airlocks, and more. 

  • Before settling on a planet to become your first outpost, you want to visit it beforehand. 
  • After heading there, you want to go ahead and survey it, which is typically done by scanning the planet for resources; based on that, you can choose to skip it or stick with it. 

Taking the example of the Procyon III planet here, in my experience, whenever you head close to it, you should be able to scan and survey it, and it shows the resources below as follows. 

ATTRIBUTES DESCRIPTION
Type  Rock 
Gravity  1.87 G
Temperature  Cold 
Atmosphere  High O2
Magnetosphere  Unknown 
Fauna  Moderate 
Flora  Moderate 
Water  Chemical 
Resources  H20, Cu, Ar, F, xF4, IL, Ne

After looking at the resources, you should be able to scan them further, which will provide you with a colored map view of the entire planet; the resources will be different shades of blue, depicting whether or not it is one of the ideal Planets for an Outpost.

  • Afterward, you can zoom in, view the resources more, and see which area you want to land on. 

Planets To Avoid 

Starfield Planets To Avoid
Planets To Avoid

Next up, I suggest to players that not all planets will be immediately habitable since they will require you to have a certain amount of skills to make an outpost there. 

  • Planets with extreme environments will give you a warning message, such as it being an extreme planet and requiring a higher rank of planetary habitation.
  • Extreme atmospheres will not grant you the ability to put down your outpost, therefore rendering the world useless for that. 

Resources To Look Out For 

Starfield Resources To Look Out For
Resources To Look Out For

Next up, after you have figured out how to put the beacon and which planet to choose, in my opinion, there are a few key resources that you might want to look out for whenever you’re choosing your ultimate outpost. 

  • One of the primary resources you should look for when choosing the outpost is ample iron. 
  • Other than that, try to find a planet that will offer aluminum, but one thing to note is that finding that together can be pretty rare. 
  • You also want to find a planet that will provide much Copper

While finding these resources already available to you is essential, I suggest you ensure the ship has a viable amount of Aluminum, Copper, Tungsten, and Beryllium. 

Important: These are the primary resources that you always want to have on hand, but if you want to go for the perfect house, I advise you to go for some titanium or lead in your arsenal, too.

And that’s just about it! All that players need to know about the Best Starfield Planet For Outpost, so let’s wrap it up! While you’re here, why not read how to utilize the Boost Pack in Starfield? Apart from that, the Starfield Difficulty guide is a worthwhile read, too!

Alongside that, the Starfield Lockpick guide is one that you shouldn’t miss out on either! Last but not least, the Starfield Shielded Cargo guide might be worth your time!

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Photo Credits: TotalXclipse

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Mina is a Senior Guides Writer and a fanatic who’s obsessed with playing games and writing about them. She’s invested more than 2,500 hours in games like Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, she loves to write detailed guides for beginners and pros in the Gacha Games world. You can follow Mina's gaming activity on her Steam and PSN Profiles.

Experience: 3+ Years

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