Fallout Shelter Nuclear Reactor vs Power Plant: Is upgrading worth it?

❘ Published: 2024-04-29T17:37:33

Bethesda

Power Plants and Nuclear Reactors are how you’re going to get Power in Fallout Shelter, but is it worth the pricey upgrade? Here is everything you need to know if you’re considering making the change.

Power is unequivocally the most important resource in Fallout Shelter. Without it, everything in the Vault stops working, and you’ll be left without food, water, and anything else you’ve got going on.

As a result, Power Plants and Nuclear Reactors are essential. But which one is best, and is it worth the expensive upgrade to get a tier three Nuclear Reactor? Here is everything you need to know.

Power Plant vs Nuclear Reactor in Fallout Shelter
How to get a Power Plant in Fallout Shelter
How to get a Nuclear Reactor in Fallout Shelter

Power Plant vs Nuclear Reactor in Fallout Shelter

The Nuclear Reactor is the best source of power in Fallout Shelter, although it’s a lot more expensive and has more requirements than a Power Plant.

Rooms get more expensive the more you build and upgrade them.

For example, the Power Plant does not have a prerequisite for how many dwellers are in your Vault to get it. The Nuclear Reactor, though, needs you to have at least 60 dwellers, and it costs 1200 caps to build.

The Nuclear Reactor is definitely a late-game purchase, but the Power Plant has got you this far – so is it worth the upgrade?

Well, it depends on if you plan on upgrading the Nuclear Reactor. Purely from a stats perspective, the Power Plant produces more power. However, a Super Reactor gives you the most power production you can get in the game, and even an Advanced Reactor puts you a step ahead of the Power Plant.

In terms of effectiveness, the Nuclear Reactor is the better choice in the long run. The bigger you build your Vault, the more Power Plants will struggle to keep up with its power needs. So, yes, it’s absolutely worth it to get a Nuclear Reactor and invest in upgrading it to a Super Reactor.

How to get a Power Plant in Fallout Shelter

You can get a Power Plant in Fallout Shelter by upgrading the Power Generator room to the last tier.

To build a Power Generator, select the room from the build menu and place it where you want in your Vault. You need to upgrade this room twice to get the Power Plant, and once you do, your power generation will be at the maximum that the room can produce.

For more power generation, make sure you merge three rooms together to get a bigger plant. You need to assign dwellers with Strength as their best SPECIAL stat to this room and make sure you assign the maximum number to lower the time it takes to produce.

Here are the requirements for each tier and the power they produce:

Room	Power Output	Cost in caps
Power Generator	Single room: 10 Double room: 21 Triple room: 44	125 (+25 for each additional room)
Power Station	Single room: 12 Double room: 25 Triple room: 52	Single room: 250 Double room: 375 Triple room: 500
Power Plant	Single room: 15 Double room: 31 Triple room: 66	Single room: 750 Double room: 1125 Triple room: 1500

How to get a Nuclear Reactor in Fallout Shelter

You need 60 dwellers and 1200 caps to build a Nuclear Reactor in Fallout Shelter.

Just like the Power Generator, though, you are going to pay more caps for each additional room tied to the first, and each upgrade will also cost you more.

Here are the requirements for each tier, and the output they produce:

Room	Power Output	Cost in caps
Nuclear Reactor	Single room: 13 Double room: 27 Triple room: 57	1200 (+300 for additional rooms)
Advanced Reactor	Single room: 15 Double room: 32 Triple room: 68	Single room: 3000 Double room: 4500 Triple room: 6000
Super Reactor	Single room: 19 Double room: 40 Triple room: 85	Single room: 9000 Double room: 13500 Triple room: 18000

As you can see, it’s quite expensive to get a Super Reactor, but the power output is unmatched. Plus, by the time you have reached the point where you can build these rooms, you should be making enough caps to afford it without too much hassle.

That’s everything to know about Power Plants and Nuclear Reactors in Fallout Shelter. If you want to know more about the game, be sure to check out our other guides below.