Research

Research is a feature in Starfield that allows the player to spend resources to gain access to more advanced items via crafting.

Overview

There are 5 Research trees in Starfield:

• Pharmacology
• Food and Drink
• Outpost Development
• Equipment
• Weaponry

Each tree contains multiple Research Projects. Each Research Project may unlock multiple recipes. Multiple Projects can be researched simultaneously both within and between trees (i.e. you can research more than 1 Pharmacology project at once).

Once a Research Project is completed, you will gain its bonuses. Research Projects are known to grant crafting recipes. There is no current information regarding if they give other bonuses.

Restrictions & Interactions

Each Research Project can be gated by any or all of the following:

• Skills or Ranks (i.e. Gastronomy)
• Other Research Projects

Some Research Projects have no prerequisites: they are available at the start.

Starting Research

To research, the player has to visit a Research Lab.

Once you have access to Research Project and meet its prerequisites, an initial cost in base resources will be presented to launch the project. If the player has the resources and starts the project, said resources will then be deducted from the player's inventory and the project will be launched.

Research Strategy

Research is a major consumer of raw resources in Starfield. Overinvesting in Research could leave you with little to construct Outposts or craft items. Alternatively, neglecting research could potentially leave the player in a situation with underpowered gear and limited options to replace it or upgrade it. Looting or purchasing gear are viable alternatives, but carry with them the risk that the player may not get items they actually want to use.

Constructing mining bases could limit the time the player needs to collect raw resources to fund Research Projects, but this investment would directly compete with funding Research Projects.

As some Research Projects are gated by Skills, collecting the Skills needed to 'tech up' the player's crafting ability could be a priority by early-mid game for a Research-minded player.