No Man’s Sky has had a new lease on life in recent years. With the new Beyond and NEXT expansions, a literal universe of possibilities have opened up to players. While exploring barren planets that no one has ever found before is still such a cool adventure, players must properly maintain their elements and supplies to fuel their intergalactic quest. One of the most important elements that have been added as of the NEXT update is Cadmium.
If players aren’t specifically looking for Cadmium, it might be easy to pass by. However, every space explorer should definitely be keeping their eyes on this precious substance, because its uses are extraordinary and its rarity is worth an extra few stops along the stars.
Origins of Cadmium
One of the chromatic metals in the No Man’s Sky repertoire, Cadmium is created from the immense fusion energies that occur within the middle of the stars. Cadmium creates giant deposits into nearby planets that are ripe for the picking for travellers that happen upon them. Cadmium frequents red planets, so explorers are going to have to mark these planets and stop by to claim these precious metals. Of course, getting to red systems will require a cadmium drive.
Cadmium Drives
Cadmium metals are hiding out on red solar systems: one of many color coded star systems in No Man’s Sky. To get to these red planets and that precious Cadmium, a Cadmium Drive is necessary. Go to the Anomaly and purchase one, but that’s not all. Make sure you have 250 Chromatic Metal and 3 Wiring Loom (which can also be purchased on the Anomaly if you’re running low). After you’re finished, install the Cadmium Drive to your glorious starship, and you’re ready to travel to red systems! Mining Cadmium will be a breeze with this new Drive, and you’ll be all the more equipped for the long journey!
Break It Down
After collecting Cadmium, if you’re not looking to specifically use it for anything and are in a pinch, place a Refiner and put the Cadmium inside. Cadmium can be refined into basic purified Chromatic Metals, which are a universal option for many different advanced equipment builds and incredibly useful. Chromatic Metals can create anything from Ion Engines and Advanced Signal Boosters to Base Computers and Antimatter, depending on if you have the other resources to combine with it.
In the event that the Cadmium isn’t immediately needed in its base form, its ability to be refined to a Chromatic Metal can come in handy. Also, if you refine Cadmium with Ferrite Dust, you can create Magnetised Ferrite. This handy substance can be used to create anything from batteries to mining lasers. It can also create many upgrades for your ship if you’re looking to be the most impressive flyboy in the universe. Cadmium has a huge myriad of collaborative uses, take advantage of them all.
Number One Ingredient
Cadmium is the main source for many specific advanced technologies that any explorer would be excited to have on board. Cadmium can be combined with a Warp Hypercore and 2 Quantum Computer to create an Amplified Warp Shielding, which allows your ship to travel to red Hyperdrive systems (where you can find even more Cadmium?). 250 Cadmium can be combined with 4 Wiring Loom to create the sought after Emeril Drive: a starship upgrade that allows travel to green zone locations. Perhaps the most interesting use is the creation of State Phasure: a mysterious element that is created by combining 100 Cadmium and 1 Photic Jade. Once created, this leads to a long line of creating Atlas Seeds which are important for both The Atlas Path mission and the search for the most precious elements in the universe.
Cadmium Trivia
In real life (even though No Man’s Sky can begin to feel real sometimes), Cadmium comes from the Greek word “cadmia” which originates from the ruler of Thebes, Cadmus. It makes sense that Cadmium is named after royalty, and the stats back it up. Real Cadmium is usually a silver/light blue color, but No Man’s Sky Cadmium is red in color.
Similar to the game in many ways, real-life Cadmium is used for powering batteries and nuclear technology. Cadmium in both the real and virtual realities is extremely useful and completely interesting.
Activated Cadmium
Despite the base level Cadmium being quite useful and a decent rarity, Activated Cadmium is an even rarer occurrence. When Cadmium is “activated” by extreme conditions, it becomes extremely valuable for all explorers. Activated Cadmium are often found in large amounts but in independent areas and can only be claimed using the Terrain Manipulator. Activated Cadmium, for how rare it is, is only able to used to refine into Magnetised Ferrite. However, more Magnetised Ferrite can be created at once with Activated Cadmium, so if you’re looking to farm this particular supply, Activated Cadmium is your best friend.