There’s nothing more frustrating than standing in front of a massive Activated Indium deposit with a multi tool kitted out for pirate fights, or getting ambushed by hostile Sentinels while you’re running a tool built only for scanning fauna. I’ve been there, fumbling through menu after menu trying to find the right tool while my shields tick down or my mining laser runs out of charge mid-harvest. If you’ve ever found yourself stuck mid-mission wishing you could swap to a more capable tool fast, you’re in the right place to learn how to change multi tool in No Man’s Sky without fumbling through 10 menus first. This guide breaks down every method, common mistakes to avoid, and extra tips to make your gameplay way smoother.
How to Change Multi Tool in No Man’s Sky: 3 Fast Methods
Before you can swap between tools, there are a few basic boxes you need to tick first. If you miss any of these, you won’t be able to swap tools on the fly, so double check these first:
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Swapping Multi Tools
I’ve made almost every mistake in the book when it comes to managing my multi tool collection, so you don’t have to. The most costly mistake I ever made was buying a random C-class combat tool at a minor settlement when I only had one free collection slot, and accidentally deleting my fully upgraded S-class mining tool I’d spent 30 hours grinding upgrades for. To avoid that mess, unlock extra multi tool slots first before you start collecting rare tools. You can buy extra slots at any space station multi tool terminal for a few hundred thousand units, and you can unlock up to 6 total slots. Another common mistake is swapping to a damaged tool mid-combat. I once swapped to my combat tool right as a pack of robotic fauna attacked, only to find its scatter blaster was completely broken from a previous Sentinel fight. Keep all your secondary tools fully repaired whenever you’re heading out for a long exploration run, so you don’t get caught off guard. A lot of new players also waste nanites upgrading low-class multi tools they’ll replace a few hours later. Prioritize S-class or A-class tools for permanent upgrades, even if they cost a bit more to buy upfront. C-class and B-class tools have lower stat caps, so any upgrades you install on them will be wasted once you find a better tool.
How to Build a Multi Tool Collection for Every Task
Once you have a few extra collection slots, you don’t have to cram every possible upgrade onto a single multi tool anymore. Mixed upgrades actually give lower overall stat bonuses, so specialized tools are always more efficient. The first specialized tool I recommend building is a mining tool, kitted out with advanced mining laser upgrades and a terrain manipulator with extra range. This tool will let you mine rare resources 2x faster, and cut through terrain in seconds when you’re looking for buried ancient relics. I used to spend 10 minutes mining a full stack of Activated Indium with a multi-purpose tool, now it takes less than 3 minutes with my dedicated mining build. Next, build a combat tool for fighting Sentinels, pirates, and hostile fauna. Equip it with a scatter blaster and grenade launcher mods, plus shield upgrades for the tool itself so it doesn’t break mid-fight. This tool will take down even high-level Sentinel walkers in just a few shots, way faster than a multi-purpose tool ever could. If you spend a lot of time scanning for fauna or surveying for resource bases, build a scanning tool with survey device upgrades and fauna scan bonuses. This tool will let you find S-class mineral and gas deposits in seconds, and give you extra units for every fauna scan you complete. You don’t have to fill all 6 slots right away, but even 2 or 3 specialized tools will make your gameplay feel 10x more efficient.
Pro Tips to Make Multi Tool Swaps Even Smoother
After thousands of hours playing No Man’s Sky, I’ve picked up a few little tricks that make managing my multi tool collection way easier. First, rename all your multi tools in the inventory menu so you don’t mix them up. I name mine “Mining Beast”, “Pirate Slayer”, and “Scan King” so I know exactly which one I’m grabbing when I open the quick menu, no guessing required. You can also pin your most used tools to the top of the quick menu, so you don’t have to scroll through 5 tools to find the one you need mid-fight. Another tip: keep a small stack of repair kits in each multi tool’s inventory, so even if you forget to repair it before you head out, you can fix it in one click without having to dig through your general inventory. If you’re looking for high-quality multi tools, check the multi tool terminal in every outlaw space station you visit. Outlaw stations have a much higher chance of spawning S-class multi tools with perfect upgrade slots, way more than regular space stations do. So don’t pass up the chance to check the terminal every time you stop for fuel or supplies. I found my current S-class combat tool at an outlaw station in a uncharted system, and it’s saved my life more times than I can count.
You don’t have to settle for a one-size-fits-all multi tool that does every job badly once you know how to change multi tool in No Man’s Sky. Even swapping between two basic tools for mining and combat will cut down on grind time and make dangerous encounters way less stressful. Take an hour this play session to unlock an extra multi tool slot, pick up a second tool from a space station, and test out the quick swap method next time you’re out exploring. You’ll wonder how you ever played the game without it.
