Quick Reference
Resource
Depth
Primary Source
Rarity
Titanium
0 – 500m
Limestone Outcrops, Metal Salvage
Copper Ore
0 – 300m
Limestone Outcrops
Silver Ore
0 – 500m
Sandstone Outcrops
Gold
100 – 500m
Sandstone Outcrops, Shale
Lithium
100 – 400m
Shale Outcrops
Diamond
200 – 900m
Shale Outcrops, Lava Zones
Magnetite
100 – 400m
Mushroom Forest, Mountains
Uraninite Crystal
200 – 700m
Blood Kelp, Grand Reef
Nickel Ore
800 – 1040m
Lost River exclusively
Kyanite
900 – 1300m
Lava Castle, Inactive Lava Zone
Basic Raw Materials0 – 300m
Most Common
Basic
Titanium
The foundational material of Subnautica — used in nearly every base component, vehicle hull piece, and tool. Found in Limestone Outcrops scattered across almost every biome. Metal Salvage (destroyed into Titanium) washes up across the Crash Zone and Safe Shallows in large quantities, making it infinitely renewable.
Base Components
Vehicle Hulls
Tools
Depth Range
0 – 500m
Primary Source
Limestone Outcrops
Secondary Source
Metal Salvage (smelted)
Rarity
Very Common
Copper Ore
Limestone Outcrops · Safe Shallows, Grassy Plateaus
Essential for wiring kits and batteries. Found abundantly in Limestone Outcrops throughout the shallows. One of the first resources new players will harvest — prioritise it early alongside Titanium.
Quartz
Sandstone Outcrops · Safe Shallows, Grassy Plateaus
Smelted into Glass or Enamelled Glass for habitat windows, reinforced hulls, and observation domes. Found on the surface of sandy biomes as loose crystals, or inside Sandstone Outcrops. Never in short supply if you know where to look.
Salt Deposit
Loose on seabed · Safe Shallows, Grassy Plateaus
Harvested as small white crystals on the seabed. Combined with Coral Tube Samples to craft Bleach, and used to cure fish into Cured Peeper for long-duration food storage. A survival staple that's trivially easy to stockpile.
Creepvine Seed Cluster
Kelp Forest · Creepvine stalks
Glowing orange seed pods hanging from Creepvine stalks in the Kelp Forest. Required for Silicone Rubber (the base ingredient for most tools) and Fiber Mesh (wetsuits, first aid). Critical early-game organic resource.
Mid-Tier Minerals100 – 600m
Silver Ore
Sandstone Outcrops · Grassy Plateaus, Kelp Forest
A white-grey ore critical for Wiring Kits. Sandstone Outcrops are the most reliable source — farm the Grassy Plateaus with a Scanner Room for efficient yield. You'll need a substantial stockpile for advanced base wiring and vehicle upgrades.
Gold
Sandstone / Shale Outcrops · Mushroom Forest
Used in Computer Chips and Advanced Wiring Kits. Found in both Sandstone and Shale Outcrops, making it accessible at a range of depths. Spawn rates are moderate — Scanner Room upgrades are worth investing in if you need it in bulk.
Lithium
Shale Outcrops · Mushroom Forest, Underwater Islands
Smelted into Plasteel Ingots alongside Titanium. Plasteel is the primary material for depth-rated hull sections, the Prawn Suit frame, and Cyclops components. Shale Outcrops in the Mushroom Forest are the most accessible farm spot pre-Seamoth upgrade.
Magnetite
Magnetite Outcrops · Mushroom Forest, Mountains
Used in Scanner Room upgrades, the HUD Chip, and sonar-related components. Spawns as reddish-black cubic outcrops. The Mushroom Forest and Mountains are the two most reliable farming locations. Highly sought mid-game for base efficiency tools.
Ruby
Sandstone Outcrops · Mountains, Grand Reef
A striking red mineral required for Aerogel and the Exosuit thermal plant module. Found in Sandstone Outcrops in mid-depth biomes. Not needed in huge quantities — a few targeted Seamoth runs into the Mountains is enough for a full playthrough.
Gel Sack
Flora · Blood Kelp Zone, Grand Reef
A bioluminescent organic plant that yields Hydrochloric Acid when harvested. Hydrochloric Acid is an ingredient in Polyaniline, which is needed for the Seamoth upgrades and Power Cell Charger. Can be grown in an exterior growbed for renewable supply.
Uraninite Crystal
Uraninite Outcrops · Blood Kelp, Grand Reef
A slightly radioactive green crystal used to craft Reactor Rods for the Bioreactor and Nuclear Reactor. Critical for powering large bases sustainably. Warpers and Crabsquids make its primary biome (Blood Kelp Zone) genuinely dangerous to farm.
Diamond
Shale Outcrops · Blood Kelp, Lost River
Used in the Laser Cutter (essential for Aurora access), Hardened Blade, and the Ion Crystal upgrade path. Found in Shale Outcrops at depth. Not required in large quantities — four Diamonds cover most of a full playthrough's needs.
Deep & Endgame800 – 1700m
Deepest Resource
Featured
Kyanite
The rarest and most important endgame resource. A bright blue crystalline mineral found exclusively in the Lava Castle within the Inactive Lava Zone. Required for the Prawn Suit Depth Upgrade Mk II (enabling 1700m descent) and the Cyclops Depth Module Mk III. You need to reach this resource to complete the game.
Prawn Depth Mk II
Cyclops Depth Mk III
Aerogel
Depth Range
900 – 1300m
Primary Source
Lava Castle
Secondary Source
Inactive Lava Zone floor
Rarity
Extremely Rare
Nickel Ore
Lost River exclusively — floors and walls
Found only in the Lost River, making it a key mid-point in the endgame progression. Required for the Prawn Suit Depth Upgrade Mk I, Cyclops Shield Generator, and several vehicle upgrades. The Ghost Leviathans patrolling the Lost River make this a tense farming run.
Crystalline Sulfur
Lava vents · Inactive and Active Lava Zone
Sulphurous yellow crystals erupting from lava vents in the deepest zones. Required for the Prawn Suit Thermal Reactor module (which makes it self-charging in hot environments), making it essential for sustained deep exploration. Lava damage is a real risk when harvesting near active vents.
Ion Crystal
Precursor caches · Active Lava Zone, Precursor bases
Glowing blue-green crystals of alien origin found in Precursor caches and dropped by Lava Lizards. Used in the most advanced upgrades — Ion Battery, Ion Power Cell, and the Cyclops Ion Shield. The rarest craftable-tier material in the game, gated behind endgame access.
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