Part of the series:
- No Man's Sky Exploration & Endgame Guide Hub: Start here for portals, freighters, the galaxy center, and more.
- How to Use Portals & Get All 16 Glyphs: Fast travel across the galaxy without fuel.
- How to Reach the Galaxy Center (Black Holes & Fast Travel): The fastest routes to the core.
Quick Answer
- The base Hyperdrive reaches roughly 100 light-years (LY) per jump and can only warp to yellow (F/G-class) star systems.
- Install Cadmium, Emeril, Indium, and Atlantid Drives in sequence to unlock red, green, blue, and purple star systems respectively.
- You can install up to three Hyperdrive Upgrade modules: a fourth disables all of them.
- A-class and S-class upgrades grant +100% Warp Cell efficiency, allowing each cell to fuel more jumps; three stacked upgrades reduce per-jump fuel cost to 25% of the normal rate.
- Place upgrade modules adjacent to the Hyperdrive and each other in the Technology tab to trigger adjacency bonuses and significantly boost range.
- Put your Hyperdrive or a key upgrade module in a Supercharged slot for a major amplified range bonus.
- Explorer-class ships have the highest built-in hyperdrive range multiplier, the best choice for a dedicated long-range explorer.
Overview
Hyperdrive range is only half of getting around. In-system travel runs on the Pulse Engine and launch thrusters, and the starship quality-of-life technology guide covers the four modules that make both cheaper and faster.
The Hyperdrive is the technology that lets you leap between star systems, and mastering it is the key to proper exploration in No Man's Sky. A freshly installed Hyperdrive has a modest range and locks you into the most common (yellow) star systems. Through a progression of specialized drive upgrades and careful inventory layout, you can more than double your jump range, unlock every star color, and dramatically reduce your fuel costs.
Hyperdrive Basics & Fuel
Building or Repairing Your Hyperdrive
New players either repair a Hyperdrive on a crashed ship or craft one from scratch. Crafting requires Chromatic Metal and Microprocessors: both obtainable early in the game. If you are still getting started, the No Man's Sky Beginner's Guide covers how to source these materials.
Warp Fuel
There are two fuel types for a starship Hyperdrive:
| Fuel | How to Get | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Warp Cell | Craft: Antimatter + Antimatter Housing | Standard fuel; one cell = 20% of the tank |
| Warp Hypercore | Derelict Freighters or merchants | Fully charges the tank in one use |
A fully charged Hyperdrive holds five Warp Cells' worth of fuel. With unupgraded drives, each Warp Cell fuels one jump; installing A-class or S-class Hyperdrive Upgrade modules reduces fuel cost per jump, so each cell carries you through more jumps. With three A/S-class upgrades stacked, each jump costs only 25% of the normal per-cell fuel, meaning you get four jumps per Warp Cell instead of one.
Warp Cells are most efficiently obtained by crafting them directly (Antimatter + Antimatter Housing) or buying them outright from space station merchants. A refiner bypass recipe also exists but is resource-intensive and not recommended for bulk stockpiling. Keeping a supply of cells before a long expedition is good practice.
Unlocking Star System Colors
The Hyperdrive alone only reaches yellow (F/G-class) star systems: the most common type, but not the richest. Rare resources and exotic worlds are locked behind other star colors. You unlock them by installing specialized drives, each building on the last:
| Drive | Unlocks | Key Material to Craft |
|---|---|---|
| Cadmium Drive | Red (M/K-class) systems | Cadmium |
| Emeril Drive | Red + Green (E-class) systems | Emeril |
| Indium Drive | Red + Green + Blue (B/O-class) systems | Indium |
| Atlantid Drive | Red + Green + Blue + Purple (X/Y-class) systems | Atlantideum + Indium + Living Glass |
Each drive in the chain grants cumulative access: the Indium Drive, for example, lets you reach red, green, and blue systems without needing the earlier drives separately. The Atlantid Drive, added in the Worlds Part II update, unlocks all star colors including purple; its blueprint is obtained through the In Stellar Multitudes questline (which requires completion of both They Who Returned and The Atlas Path first). The full unlock path and what purple space actually holds are in the Purple Systems & Atlantid Drive Guide.
Blue star systems in particular are worth prioritizing: they tend to have more extreme planets, rare resources like Activated Indium, and high-value trading opportunities.
These drives are separate technology items and do not count against your three-upgrade-module limit. Install all four freely alongside your range upgrades.
Hyperdrive Upgrade Modules
How to Get Them
Hyperdrive Upgrade modules drop from:
- Technology Merchants at space stations. Purchase with Nanite Clusters (inventory rotates randomly; save-reload to reroll for higher classes)
- Upgrade Module containers found on planets (from Damaged Machinery, Operations Centres, and similar)
- Expedition rewards and Nexus missions
If you need Nanites to buy upgrades, the guide to getting Nanites fast covers the quickest farming methods.
Module Classes & Limits
Modules come in C, B, A, and S-class tiers. A-class and S-class modules additionally grant +100% Warp Cell efficiency on top of their range bonus, making them far superior to lower-class options for both range and fuel economy.
Critical rule: install a maximum of three Hyperdrive Upgrade modules. A fourth causes all hyperdrive upgrade modules to stop functioning until you drop back to three. More is not better here.
With three well-placed S-class modules on an Explorer-class ship, jump ranges can exceed 2,000 light-years per jump depending on adjacency setup and whether a Supercharged slot is used. Explorer-class ships achieve the highest figures; other ship types will land lower.
Maximizing Range: Adjacency & Supercharged Slots
This is where good players separate themselves from great ones. Raw module stats are only part of the picture. How you place them matters just as much.
Adjacency Bonuses
Each module grants a bonus to neighboring modules of the same technology family. To trigger adjacency bonuses:
- Install the Hyperdrive itself in the Technology tab of your ship.
- Place all three Hyperdrive Upgrade modules directly adjacent to it (horizontally or vertically).
- Place Cadmium/Emeril/Indium/Atlantid Drives touching the same cluster. They participate in the adjacency network.
The goal is a tight, connected cluster rather than scattered placements. A compact square or cross shape maximizes the number of adjacency connections between modules.
Note: the four chromatic drives (Cadmium, Emeril, Indium, Atlantid) do not contribute range bonuses on their own. Always anchor the cluster around at least one upgrade module and the Hyperdrive itself.
Supercharged Slots
Every ship has a small number of Supercharged Slots (highlighted in purple in the Technology tab). Technology installed in these slots receives a significant amplified stat bonus.
For maximum warp range:
- Place the Hyperdrive itself in a Supercharged slot if possible.
- If not, place your strongest S-class Hyperdrive Upgrade module in the Supercharged slot and keep it adjacent to the rest of the cluster.
Grouping three S-class upgrade modules around a Supercharged slot creates a compounding effect: the adjacency bonuses and the Supercharged amplification stack, producing substantially greater range than either alone. Ship Supercharged slot positions are fixed and vary by ship, so when hunting for a new vessel, the slot layout matters. See the full starships guide for what to look for.
For a deeper look at how Supercharged Slots interact with all technology types, the Best Technology Upgrades & Supercharged Slots Guide covers the full system.
Best Ship Type for Warp Range
Explorer-class ships have the highest built-in hyperdrive range multiplier of all ship classes. Exotic ships also carry a strong multiplier. Haulers sit in the mid-range, while Fighters have effectively no built-in hyperdrive bonus. An S-class Explorer with a fully optimized hyperdrive layout will out-jump every other ship type. If long-range exploration is your priority, targeting an S-class Explorer is worth the effort.
Freighter Hyperdrives
Your Freighter also has a Hyperdrive, upgraded separately from your starship. Freighter Hyperdrive upgrades are found primarily in Derelict Freighters: hostile, abandoned vessels you can board for loot and technology. A fully upgraded Freighter Hyperdrive lets your entire fleet warp alongside you over large distances, which is essential for late-game base and fleet management.
Fuel works similarly: five Warp Cells or one Warp Hypercore fully charges a Freighter Hyperdrive. If you are still working toward your first Freighter, the free Freighter guide explains how to claim one early in the game.
FAQ
How many Hyperdrive Upgrade modules can I install?
Exactly three. Installing a fourth causes all hyperdrive upgrade modules to become inactive until you remove one. This limit applies per technology type, so your chromatic drives (Cadmium, Emeril, Indium, Atlantid) do not count against this total.
Do I need all four chromatic drives installed at once?
No. The Atlantid Drive (unlocked via the In Stellar Multitudes quest) grants access to red, green, blue, and purple star systems on its own. You do not need the earlier drives if you already have the Atlantid Drive installed. However, if you have not yet completed In Stellar Multitudes, you need each drive in sequence to progressively unlock star colors.
What is the fastest way to get S-class Hyperdrive Upgrades?
Buy them with Nanite Clusters from Technology Merchants at space stations. The class is random each time, so reload from a save point (using a nearby Save Beacon or your ship) to re-roll the merchant's inventory until S-class modules appear. See the Nanites farming guide if you need to build up your Nanite supply first.
Does ship class affect hyperdrive range?
Yes. Explorer ships have the strongest hyperdrive class bonus, followed by Exotic ships, then Haulers. Fighters have effectively no built-in hyperdrive range bonus. The ship class bonus applies on top of all upgrade and adjacency bonuses, so an S-class Explorer will always out-range an S-class Fighter with identical upgrades.
What is a Warp Hypercore and how is it different from a Warp Cell?
A Warp Hypercore fully charges your Hyperdrive in a single use. Equivalent to five Warp Cells. Hypercores are harder to obtain and are mainly found in Derelict Freighters or purchased from merchants. They are most useful when you want to warp immediately without crafting multiple cells. For routine travel, Warp Cells crafted from Antimatter and Antimatter Housing are easier to maintain in bulk.
Can I warp without any Warp Cells if I have upgrades?
No. Upgrades improve fuel efficiency and range but do not eliminate the fuel requirement. You always need at least one Warp Cell (or a Warp Hypercore) to initiate a warp jump.
Key Takeaways
- Start by crafting or repairing the base Hyperdrive, then progress through Cadmium → Emeril → Indium → Atlantid Drives to unlock all star system colors.
- Install exactly three A-class or S-class Hyperdrive Upgrade modules: no more, no fewer.
- Cluster all hyperdrive-related technology adjacent to each other in the Technology tab for maximum adjacency bonuses.
- Use a Supercharged Slot for the Hyperdrive or a top-tier upgrade module to amplify the entire cluster.
- Explorer-class S-class ships deliver the best possible warp range, ideal for deep exploration.
- Three stacked A/S-class upgrades reduce per-jump fuel cost to 25% of the base rate, giving you four jumps per Warp Cell.
- Upgrade your Freighter Hyperdrive separately using technology from Derelict Freighters for fleet-wide warp capability.