Satisfactory Quartz Research: Exoskeleton, Explorer, Radar Tower

In Satisfactory, your progress isn’t strictly tied to milestones. They’re a helpful guide, but you can also strike out on your own to discover new resources. Quartz becomes truly important later on, yet research in the MAM can unlock several key items you might otherwise miss. That’s why we recommend grabbing this resource early or at least setting up a small, basic outpost at one of its locations. Many of the recipes you’ll unlock here become crucial later, giving you a head start. Today we’ll look at what you need Quartz for and why starting the research earlier than you might think is worth it.

Satisfactory: finding quartz – best locations and tips

Normally, you only unlock the Quartz scan with Tier 7, but of course you can start looking beforehand. It’s absolutely worth it when you consider some of the MAM rewards. Waiting that long to research them is a bit counterproductive. Quartz deposits aren’t common, but thankfully two to three nodes tend to cluster together at a spot.

Recommended areas:

• Titan Forest (2x normal, 1x pure)
• Red Jungle / Western Dune Forest (2x pure)
• Rocky Desert (2x pure, 1x normal)
• Southern Forest (1x pure, 1x normal, 1x impure)

You can easily recognize quartz by its purple, pointed crystals sticking out of the ground at deposits. You can mine it by hand or with a Miner. We recommend grabbing some quartz during your early scouting runs to kick off the research.

Satisfactory quartz research in the MAM: every branch

Quartz stands out thanks to its color, and with our map you’ll have no trouble finding deposits. Set up a small outpost and place a basic Miner. You don’t need huge amounts of quartz to begin, but it’s better to start early and scale up production later. The research splits into four sections, which we’ll go through together.

Section 1: Unlock Silica, Exoskeleton, and inventory slots

We recommend focusing on the right branch of the tech tree first. You’ll need 30x raw quartz to unlock the first two steps and enable the Quartz scan. You’ll also get some neat goodies in the AWESOME Shop. After that, start producing Silica by processing quartz in a Constructor. Super simple and fast. Also have 10x Modular Frames ready.

• Quartz: Complete this step with 10 quartz to unlock the scanner entry for your device.
• Silica: Spend another 20 quartz to unlock the Silica recipe, plus Windows and a Glass Roof in the AWESOME Shop to beautify your factories.
• Exoskeleton: One of the best gear items in the entire game. Prioritize this by submitting 50 Silica and 10 Modular Frames. Afterwards you can equip the Exoskeleton to jump higher, run faster, and take less fall damage. Craft it from Silica, Modular Frames, and Rotors.
• Inventory expansion: With 200 Silica you can unlock 6 additional inventory slots. Not essential at the start, but very useful later.

Section 2: Quartz Crystal, Shatter Rebar, and Quartz Oscillator

The left branch of the research is great for the following recipes and should be tackled next. Here you’ll unlock fundamentals for the next two sections and for several late-game recipes.

• Quartz Crystal: A refined product of raw quartz and the foundation for many recipes. Made in the Constructor and required for the next two items.
• Shatter Rebar: Use Quartz Crystal and Iron Rebar to research Shatter Rebar. It deals more damage, which is extremely helpful when fending off creatures.
• Quartz Oscillator: With Quartz Crystal and Reinforced Iron Plates you unlock this very important recipe. The Oscillator is needed for many advanced recipes and also appears in alternate recipes, for example for the Computer.

Section 3: Unlock the Explorer vehicle and Pulse Nobelisk

This third section shows again why quartz research is fantastic for exploration. You’ll unlock a faithful vehicle for your adventures and an explosive tool. For the latter, you must have started Sulfur research.

• Explorer: Use 10 Quartz Oscillators and 100 Modular Frames to unlock the Explorer. It’s perfect for traversing the map so you don’t have to run everywhere. It consumes 90 MW worth of fuel and can reach up to 107 km/h. The Explorer is highly agile and handles rough terrain well.
• Pulse Nobelisk: To unlock this Nobelisk type, you need the standard Nobelisks first. They are a kind of grenade that you unlock in the Sulfur MAM. So you may need to wait for this one. Pulse Nobelisks create a shockwave on detonation that doesn’t deal damage but pushes objects away.

Section 4: Crash Site scanner, Radar Tower, and Priority Splitter

You should be able to complete this last section by Tier 6, as it requires Quartz Oscillators and Computers. Otherwise, it’s just a matter of time before you have everything ready. This final stretch of quartz research once again focuses primarily on exploration.

• Crash Site scanner: Crash Sites are vital for finding Hard Drives for the MAM’s alternate recipe system. A scanner makes it much easier to seek them out deliberately.
• Radar Tower: With Oscillators, Heavy Modular Frames, and Computers, you can unlock the Radar Tower, which lets you scan for objects over long distances. It finds not only ore deposits, but also enemies and other important items. Its range is one kilometer.
• Priority Splitter: Finally, you unlock another conveyor splitter. It lets you prioritize outputs and distribute resources more effectively. This item is new in Version 1.1 and helps minimize clogs and backed-up belts.

Conclusion: start quartz research early to explore the planet better

Invest in Quartz research early to unlock several helpful items for exploration. From the Exoskeleton to the Explorer, there are some truly practical research targets you don’t want to miss. You’ll also get new ammo for your Rebar Gun and Nobelisks to help deal with enemies. Various quartz-based recipes are also very useful for alternate recipes, if you plan to use them.

[Rent one of our Satisfactory servers]{.underline} and discover quartz and its many uses for yourself. You can share your knowledge with friends right away and explore the map more efficiently.