No Man’s Sky has been called “Minecraft in Space” for a reason. There are a ton of materials, which can all be combined into interstellar technology. The big difference is that in Minecraft you’re only exploring one planet. It is easy to get lost in the sheer complexity of No Man’s Sky’s universe and find yourself lost with no idea where to go to get the items you need. One such illusive item is Chromatic Metal.
Chromatic Metal is among the most useful materials in the game is is also one of the first major crafting puzzles. It is an essential ingredient in creating Antimatter, which is just one of a few key materials that need to be secured before you can build your first hyper-drive and leave your starting solar system. Chromatic Metal is also used to make the Boltcaster and the Base Computer. Needless to say, Chromatic Metal is crucial to your progression. The search for it is also a subtle introduction to the game’s star system tiers.
Searching for Minerals in No Man’s Sky
There are four minerals which can be refined into Chromatic Metal. They are (listed in order of rarity) Copper, Cadmium, Emeril, and Indium. Before an advanced Hyperdrive is secured, Copper will be the only mineral within reach, as it is mostly found on planets orbiting yellow stars. Simply scan planets from orbit and look for either large Mineral Deposits on the planet’s surface or oval-shaped floating rocks. Keep in mind, a Terrain Manipulator is needed to mine Mineral Deposits.
Cadmium, Emeril, and Indium are going to be harder to find but will produce larger amounts of Chromatic Metal. Cadmium is found in deposits on planets orbiting red stars, Emeril can be found in green systems in caves and asteroids, and Indium is only found in blue systems. Red, Green, and Blue systems can only be reached with Hyperdrive upgrades. Luckily, these upgrades are named according to the minerals that are found in each type of system, I.E., the Cadmium Drive grants you access to red systems.
Refining Chromatic Metal In No Man’s Sky
A refiner is needed to begin crafting Chromatic Metal. A basic Portable Refiner can be built using Metal Plating and Oxygen. Once a Refiner is secured, add Carbon into the fuel tank and your mineral of choice. The mineral will be refined into Chromatic Metal!
No Man’s Sky Pro Tips
Activated Copper, Cadmium, Emeril and Indium all produce larger amounts of Chromatic Metal than their regular counterparts. Also, if a Large Refiner can be secured, add Gold and Silver to the process to increase your Chromatic Metal output exponentially. One unit of Indium refined with one of Gold and one of Silver produces thirty units of Chromatic Metal.
More: No Man’s Sky: How To Hatch Your Own Living Ship
No Man’s Sky is available on PC, PS4 and Xbox One.
