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No Man’s Sky – Best Ways to Get Money Units

Find out some of the best ways you can earn Units in No Man’s Sky.
This article is over 8 years old and may contain outdated information

One of the most important aspects of No Man’s Sky is earning Units, the money used to purchase items from space stations, upgrade your ship and more. You will find very early in the game that Units are extremely important, so knowing how to quickly make a lot of Units is a huge help when you first begin the game. This article provides a few helpful tips to get you started on your money making venture in No Man’s Sky.

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Discover Things

There are over 18 quintillion planets in No Man’s Sky. That means even if you’re starting the game weeks or months after the initial release, there are plenty of planets and wildlife to discover. The easiest way to earn money is to discover new planets and solar systems. If you find a new solar system you’ll earn roughly 5,000 Units, while discovering a new planet nets you about 2,000 Units.

Once the game has been out awhile it may be harder to find new planets and solar systems, but you can still earn quite a few Units from animals and planet life. Once you discover a new animal or plant, record your findings to the Atlas to get paid. Each new animal you find will net you around 2,000 Units, while planets tend to run around 500 Units or so. When you land on a new planet, make sure to record as many new plants and wildlife as you can to earn Units quickly.

Frequent Space Stations

Any time you enter a new solar system or return to one you’ve already discovered, make a quick stop at the local space station and check out the prices of their most wanted items in the market. Any items you see with a star marking are in extremely high demand. Make note of these items as you’re venturing across the galaxy.

You can earn a lot of Units by mining a few planets for the hottest items or minerals, then selling them at a space station. Keep in mind, the prices for items will vary from station to station. Sometimes you may want to head to a previous galaxy and trade your items there for better prices. That’s why it’s important to remember what the starred items are when you head into a space station.

Know Where to Mine

You can fly around from planet to planet in search of valuable items, but that’s kind of like searching for a needle in a haystack in some instances. Luckily, there are ways to cut down on your search and make it easy to find valuable resources. When you leave a space station, look around to see small white lines running from the space station to nearby planets. These lines indicate the trade routes most frequented in that solar system. Head to the planets along these trade routes and you’ll usually find large quantities of minerals and resources.

When you get down to a planet, don’t immediately land and start running around. Instead, fly low to the ground and you’ll be able to spot all of the various resources. At first you may not recognize each of the icons and what resource they relate to, but within a few hours of playing you’ll know all of the important icons. This saves you time so you can fly right to the area with the resources you’re looking for, land and mine without wandering around the whole planet.

It’s also beneficial to shoot any asteroids you come across. Asteroids aren’t just scattered across the sky to give you more things to look at. If you shoot asteroids you will gain valuable resources. Pay attention to the size and shape of each asteroid and the minerals you get from blowing it up. This will help you save time in the future when you’re looking for specific resources.

As always, stay tuned to Prima Games for more tips and tricks in No Man’s Sky!


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Author
Image of Bryan Dawson
Bryan Dawson
Bryan Dawson has an extensive background in the gaming industry, having worked as a journalist for various publications for nearly 20 years and participating in a multitude of competitive fighting game events. He has authored over a dozen strategy guides for Prima Games, worked as a consultant on numerous gaming-related TV and web shows and was the Operations Manager for the fighting game division of the IGN Pro League.