Starfield Outposts explained: How to build bases

Starfield lets players explore the galaxy while building Outposts, essential settlements to colonize each planet. If you want to start to build your own Outposts, here’s everything you need to know about them, including their stats and what type of Outpost you can get.

While traveling through Starfield‘s vast galaxy, you’ll need to think about building different bases to start colonizing different planets. While they are fairly similar to Fallout 4‘s settlement mechanic, Outposts also have a huge catalog of upgrades that can be difficult to understand at first.

Starfield’s Outposts are mostly used as homes and mobile bases, but you’ll also need to get them to mine and transport resources across the massive universe. With over 1,000 planets to explore, you can set up a bunch of Outposts across each of them and have NPCs colonize them.

Here’s all to know about base building and Outposts in Starfield.

• How to build Outposts in Starfield
• Outpost stats in Starfield
• What structures can you build in Starfield?

How to build Outposts in Starfield

To build an Outpost in Starfield, you need to follow these steps:

1. Set up an Outpost Beacon. To do this, you’ll need to press the LB button on Xbox or the F key on PC.
2. Once it’s placed, and you’ve claimed all surrounding land, enter the Build Mode.
3. Select the type of Outpost you wish to build.
4. You can use the “Modify Mode” to plan your map, and then build your Outpost.

Bases are known as Outposts in Starfield. In Fallout 4, bases could only be built in specific locations, but in Fallout 76, they could be built virtually anywhere by using a C.A.M.P. device. Starfield is similar to the latter, as you only need the Outpost Beacon to begin construction.

So, the first step is to find a suitable location for your base by scanning for useful resources, flora, and fauna. Completing survey missions for the various factions in the game can lead you to find suitable planets to build your own Outpost.

The next step is to place an Outpost Beacon to claim the location for yourself. You can then enter an isometric camera perspective called ‘Modify Mode’ to plan your space settlement. Just like the Fallout games, there are limitations to how high or wide you can build.

Outpost stats in Starfield

There are four things to be aware of when building your base in Starfield — Cargo, Crew, Power, and Production. These show up in the bottom-right corner of the HUD when building.

• Cargo – This is the amount of storage you have.
• Crew – The number of crew needed by the Outpost to run it.
• Power –
  • Needed Power – The total power needed to run everything.
  • Total Power – The amount of power being generated
• Production – Amount of resources being generated.
• Build Limit – The number of structures you are allowed to build.

What structures can you build in Starfield?

Starfield has tons of structures, materials, prefabs, and more for you to build. You assemble multiple modules to build your base in Starfield. These modules include habitation units, rooms for science, military, hydroponics, and more.

Here is what you can build in Starfield:

• Outpost Airlock
• Outpost Beacon
• Four Wall Hab
• Four Wall Hab – Double
• Solar Dome
• Solar Array
• Hydroponic Hab A
• Hydroponic Hab B
• Science Hab Small
• Science Hab Flat Small
• Military Hab
• Hab Round
• Hydroponic Hab Round
• Small Hex Hab
• Hallway – Industrial
• Watchtower
• Wind Turbine
• Wind Turbine – Advanced
• Fuelled Generator
• Reactor
• Powered Switch
• Industrial Light Post
• Light Post
• Industrial Wall Light
• Extractor – Solid
• Extractor – Liquid
• Extractor – Gas
• Transfer Container
• Storage – Solid
• Storage – Liquid
• Storage – Gas
• Warehouse
• Simple Fabricator
• Compound Fabricator
• Multiplex Fabricator
• Industrial Workbench
• Cooking Station
• Pharmaceutical Lab
• Weapon Workbench
• Spacesuit Workbench
• Research Lab
• Scan Booster
• Cargo Link
• Crew Station
• Mission Board
• Self-Service Bounty Clearance
• Hallway
• Landing Pad
• Ballistic Turret
• Tick Turret
• Laser Turret
• Sanitation Mini Bot
• Garden Mini Bot
• Engineering Robot
• Logistics Robot
• Power Management Robot

That is all you need to know about base building and Outposts in Starfield. For more on the game, check out our guides below:

Starfield: How to fix stuttering & low FPS issues on PC| All Starfield console commands: All cheat codes  | Does Starfield have New Game Plus? | Is Starfield on Steam Deck? | Will Starfield have DLC & story expansions? | All Skill Magazines in Starfield: Locations & buffs | Every religion in Starfield explained | Starfield plants explained: All types & how to scan