The Orbital update in No Man’s Sky is all about making space feel more alive through space station upgrades and events such as Trade Surges. My guide will outline how you can take full advantage of the surges and what they do in No Man’s Sky.
What are Trade Surges in No Man’s Sky?
Trade Surges are limited-time events that designate certain commodities as scarce and in high demand within a random star system. These events are called Market Surges and are perfect opportunities to swoop in with your ship and start putting a choke hold on the best goods. If you happen to have the commodity listed for the surge, you are in for a chance at plenty of Nanities when you reach a station.
Without an Economy Scanner, you won’t be able to find a Trade Surge, so it’s important to have one installed on your starship before you attempt to take advantage of the market. Economy Scanners can be purchased from any starship vendor within a space station. Once you buy the part you want, you can head over to the starship customization screen and equip the scanner. Then you will be able to fly back into space and scan nearby star systems for a market surge.
Another aspect of the events to keep in mind is your standing with factions in the star system or guilds. Having a good trade standing can provide you with discounts on items like Starship Reactors and it can mean even more Nanites for you when you get back to trading. When one of the Trade Surges is active, jumping into a system that you’ve traded with before can be a huge help. But you only have so much time to ride the surge.
Before you head out to another star system, make sure to customize your ship to your liking in No Man’s Sky.
