Fastest Ways To Get Nanites

Nanites are the second most valuable currency used in galactic trading in “No Man’s Sky.” Unlike Units, which more closely resemble real-world money, Nanites are used in transactions involving knowledge and data.

With that said, Nanites are going to be slightly more difficult to earn as opposed to Units, especially since almost everything in the game can be sold for the latter currency. Copious amounts of Nanites will be required for unlocking blueprints and upgrades, so it’s best for players to know how to meet these needs in advance.

How to get Nanites

The most basic way of obtaining Nanites is by scanning unknown flora, fauna and minerals on newly discovered planets. Use the Analytical Visor to examine new lifeforms, then go to the Discoveries menu to upload them to the galactic database.

However, this is an extremely slow process, and doing this activity can be very tedious with all the planet-hopping involved. There are some faster ways to earn Nanites, though most of them will require a hefty number of Units.

Ship Scrapping

When scrapped, starships will be converted into Units, Upgrade Modules and Storage Augments. The Upgrade Modules can then be traded to merchants aboard space stations for a decent amount of Nanites.

It’s best to scrap A- and S-class ships since they give the most Upgrade Modules. Try sitting on a three-star Vy’keen or Korvax system’s space station since they tend to have plenty of visiting Fighter ships.

Purchase any high-ranked ship from the pilots once they land, and then immediately scrap them at the nearby station.

Scrap dealers sell derelict freighter coordinates and can scrap spare ships into useful materials
Photo: No Man’s Sky

Cooking

Preparing meals in a Nutrient Processor and then presenting them to Cronus at the Space Anomaly is a surprisingly effective way to earn Nanites.

Cronus will grant variable amounts of Nanites for every food item presented to him. The more he enjoys the dish, the more Nanites he will give.

Delicious Vegetable Stew, Iced Screams and Herb-Encrusted Flesh are the three most highly-rated food items, and they tend to reward the most Nanites out of everything on the menu.

Derelict Freighters

Tainted Metal from Derelict Freighters is a great source of Nanites, though getting to the dead ships themselves can be very expensive. Talk to Helios at the Space Anomaly to get a free Emergency Broadcast Receiver once per week, or visit the scrap traders aboard space stations and purchase them for Units.