Subnautica Silver Ore cannot be used to build as many individual items or upgrades as other crafting materials. Still, it's worth cultivating as it's a key part of the wiring kit. Like other ores and precious metals in Unknown Worlds Entertainment's underwater survival game, silver is found in a cavalcade of biomes across the alien ocean world of 4546B.
Although obtaining material from specific outcrops is highly RNG-dependent, there are a few places you can explore that are easier to reach early on. The guide below tells you why you need the money, as well as where to find it.
What is silver ore used for in Subnautica?
Silver ore is used to build:
- Large capacity O2 tank (manufacturer)
- Wiring kit (manufacturer)
- Med Kit Maker (Habitat Builder)
- Scanner Room Speed ​​Upgrade (Scanner Room)
Arguably the most important craft items are the Large Capacity O2 Tank (x1 ore) and the Hardwire Kit (x2 ore). The larger O2 tank is essential for performing deeper dives and exploring the different parts of the Shrimp and Cyclops, while the Hardwire Kit is used in a variety of other crafting recipes, such as those for Rebreather, Propulsion Cannon, Battery Charger, and Suite.
The hardwire kit is what you will need to farm silver ore.
Where is Silver Ore in Subnautica?
This resource can be found in virtually every biome on planet 4546B, from the Kelp Forest to the Bulb Zone and almost everywhere in between.
At the start of the game, you want to search for outcrops of sandstone on the seabed and attached to the sides of hills and seamounts. They look like round, medium brown rocks (as opposed to the more oblong, beige/light brown limestone outcrops). Each outcrop gives you 1x money.
These are found most abundantly at the start of game in the grassy plateau biome, as well as at the edge of the kelp forest biome when it touches the grassy plateau.
Note that sandstone outcrops are also sources of gold and lead, two other materials you will need. You can even get gold from the areas above, like I did a few times.
How to find the grassy plateau for early game ore
From your Segway, go northeast (the wreckage of the crashed Aurora will be on your right). Keep going through the safe shallows until it drops into the grassy plateau area. There will be red grass on the ocean floor in this area.
Once the area drops down, turn left and head north sticking up along the cliff. When you get to the large green kelp forests (they will be on your left) you will start to notice caves in the cliff. Look around and in these caves for sandstone.
You can also venture into the grassy plateau and look for sandstone attached to the pillars there and in the caves that lead down to the mushroom forest, but this area is deep and dangerous.
Not only will you need the high capacity O2 tank to manage your oxygen supply and navigate this area efficiently (which you need silver ore to build), but you'll probably also need the seaglide to make sure to be able to reach the surface more quickly. Also be on the lookout for bone sharks.
You can also go to the grassy plateau/kelp forest area to the south/southwest of the deposit. Neither area is really more dangerous than the other, it seems, and I haven't found either area to be more effective than the other. The two grassy plateau areas also start at about the same distance from the deposit (about 260 meters).
Obtain ore from large deposits
Silver ore can also be mined from large resource deposits, which are nodes of pyramid material found on the seabed in various biomes. Silver outcrops can be found more easily early in the game in the underwater islands biome and the dune biome, although "easily" here is relative since you'll need the Shrimp Drill to mine them.
That's not to say you likely need the colossus to transport lobster to these areas, unless you have a base built nearby. These areas are also some of the most dangerous biomes in Subnautica.
Get money from Barnacles on Leviathans Reefback
Reefback Leviathans are the large whale-like creatures that swim above the grassy areas of the plateau. They can also be found in the Mushroom Forest, Bulb Zone, and Dunes, along with a handful of other areas.
Various resource nodes can be found on their backs, including Coral and Acid Mushroom. There are also teal barnacles inside dark greyish sacs. Breaking barnacles can give you copper or silver.
This method works, but is much less reliable than searching for sandstone or, later in the game, searching for large deposits.
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That's all there is to know about how to find silver ore in Subnautica's early game, and once you know what to look for, you'll be able to find the crafting resource in many places. other biomes. For more on how to explore the vast ocean of Subnautica, consider checking out our other guides. Happy exploring.
