Subnautica 2 Quartz Location: Coral Domes & Outcrops
Quartz in Subnautica 2 grows on coral domes and rocky outcrops in the shallows, making it one of the friendliest resources to gather — no deep dives or pitch-black caves required. You need it immediately for the Scanner, and in bulk later for hatches, glass, and solar power.
Last updated: September 5, 2026
All Quartz Locations on Proteus
Quartz is a shallow-water resource, so your 45 seconds of starting oxygen is plenty for early gathering. Look for these two formations:
| Location | Reliability | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Coral domes | High | The signature Quartz source. Dome clusters in the starting shallows often carry several deposits at once. |
| Rocky outcrops in the shallows | High | Scattered across the safe starting biome, mixed in with Copper-bearing rock. Grab both while you are there. |
Because Quartz lives in the shallows, it is the perfect "filler" resource: pick it up every time you swim past on the way to somewhere else. You will never regret a full stack when base building starts.
What Quartz Is Used For
Quartz is involved in your very first tool and your first real base. It never stops being relevant:
| Recipe | Quartz Cost | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Scanner | Quartz x2 (+ Titanium x2 + Battery x1) | Your most important early tool — it unlocks blueprints by scanning fragments. Craft this first. |
| Hatch | Quartz x1 (+ Titanium x1) | The door into every base room you build. |
| Solar Panel | Quartz x2 (+ Titanium x1) | Your primary early power source. Works above 200m depth only, and weaker at night. |
| Base Fabricator | Quartz x1 (+ Titanium x1 + Copper x1) | Removes the Lifepod's crafting limits; unlocks advanced base components. |
| Glass | Quartz-based | Used for windows and viewable base sections. |
| System Chip | Quartz (+ Gold + Copper) | Advanced electronics — required for the Habitat Builder. |
A base without power produces no oxygen inside. Since early power means Solar Panels — and Solar Panels mean Quartz x2 each — your Quartz stockpile is literally your air supply. Never start construction empty-handed.
Your First Three Quartz Crafts
Quartz progression in the first hours follows a strict priority order — spend it in this sequence and you will never stall:
1. Scanner
Titanium x2 + Quartz x2 + Battery x1. Nothing else matters until you can scan fragments and unlock blueprints — this is always craft number one.
2. Solar Panel
Titanium x1 + Quartz x2. Powers your first base — and remember, no power means no oxygen inside. Build it the moment your Habitat Builder is ready.
3. Hatch
Titanium x1 + Quartz x1. The way into every room you build. Cheap, but easy to forget when budgeting Quartz.
Quartz Farming Routes
1. Coral Dome Loops
Pick a loop through the coral dome clusters near your Lifepod and harvest every deposit on the way. Drop a Beacon at the richest clusters — with no traditional map in Subnautica 2, your beacons are how you find them again.
2. Scanner Station Ping
Once your base has power, build a Scanner Station — Quartz is one of its supported ping targets. HUD markers reveal every deposit in range, which is the fastest way to stock up right before a big construction session. Range is limited, so place outposts near the zones you harvest most. Details in our Scanner Station guide.
3. Combine With Copper Runs
Quartz outcrops and Copper-bearing rock live side by side in the shallows. Running both routes together halves your travel time — see our Copper location guide for the cave side of the same loop.
Planning a whole settlement? Our Base Building Guide covers full material costs, and the best base locations guide explains why building near Quartz and Copper zones saves hours of hauling.
Quartz FAQ
Quartz grows on coral domes and rocky outcrops in the shallows, making it one of the easiest resources to gather in the game. You can collect it within reach of your 45 seconds of starting oxygen, with no cave diving required.
Quartz goes into the Scanner (Titanium x2 + Quartz x2 + Battery x1), glass, the Hatch (Titanium x1 + Quartz x1), and the Solar Panel (Titanium x1 + Quartz x2). It is also an ingredient in the System Chip alongside Gold and Copper.
Every Hatch costs Quartz x1 and every Solar Panel costs Quartz x2, and solar is your primary early-game power source above 200m depth. Plan on stockpiling a stack of Quartz before you start serious construction, plus a reserve for the Base Fabricator (Quartz x1).
Sweep coral dome clusters in a loop and drop a Beacon at each rich cluster so you can return after deposits respawn. Once your base has power, a Scanner Station can ping Quartz directly — it is one of the station's supported targets.