'No Man's Sky': How To Refine Resources

Raw resources in “No Man's Sky” can be converted into finer materials, which are used either as components for higher-level crafting or simply as merchandise for trading runs. With that said, refining resources is an integral part of crafting, though it does have other benefits.

Players can refine materials through basic Portable Refiners that are fairly easy to craft while on the field. This handy machine can turn resources into advanced materials used for important upgrades related to the player’s ships, tools and exo-suit.

To refine resources, place a Portable Refiner on suitable terrain and interact with it. Place raw resources in the “Input” slot and any suitable fuel source in the “Fuel Supply” tab. A window will open up on the right side, showing the possible outcome of the refining process.

Select the desired number of refined resources and press the appropriate button to begin the process. Players can cancel this at any time in case they change their minds.

The Portable Refiner isn’t the only option for refining materials. More advanced refineries are available, but the refining process remains mostly the same.

The Personal Refiner can be treated as a direct upgrade to the portable version. As an exo-suit upgrade, the Personal Refiner is slotted into the player’s suit, which allows for multi-tasking. It can be crafted using 100 Chromatic Metal and 150 Oxygen.

Then there’s the Medium Refiner, which is a much larger machine that must be installed in a player-owned base. This refiner can combine two materials into one, which opens up a broader avenue for crafting. It also runs on the base’s power supply.

Lastly, the Large Refiner can transmute three materials to produce more advanced resources. This refiner also requires a player-owned base, and it is arguably the best option in the game when it comes to manufacturing crafting materials. However, this is also the most expensive refiner, costing 200 Chromatic Metal, 100 Sodium Nitrate and five Microprocessors to craft.

Blueprints for all these advanced refiners can be purchased from the Space Anomaly, either for Nanites or for Salvaged Data. Be sure to check the Anomaly regularly for other player-related upgrades.