Subnautica 2 Scanner Station: How to Ping Resources
The Scanner Station is a base structure that pings a chosen resource directly on your HUD, marking every deposit within its range — targetable resources are Silver Ore, Lead, Copper, Titanium, Quartz, and Gold. It requires a powered base, and its limited range is why veteran players build them in outposts all over Proteus.
Last updated: September 5, 2026
What the Scanner Station Does
Subnautica 2 has no traditional map — you navigate by landmarks, Beacons, and memory. The Scanner Station is the one structure that breaks that rule for resources: select a target material, and HUD pings mark matching deposits around the station. A frustrating blind search becomes a five-minute targeted run.
| Target | Where It Spawns | Main Uses |
|---|---|---|
| Silver Ore | Caves, deeper shallows, wrecks, supply crates | Standard Air Tank, Wiring Kits — biggest early bottleneck |
| Copper | Caves and shallow rock outcrops | Batteries, wiring, electronics |
| Titanium | Seafloor everywhere, wrecks | Bases, vehicles, and tools in bulk |
| Quartz | Coral domes and rocky outcrops in shallows | Scanner, glass, hatches, Solar Panels |
| Lead | Specific rock deposits | Radiation protection, reactor components |
| Gold | Deeper biomes, specific outcrops | Advanced electronics, System Chips |
Ping Silver Ore first. It is deliberately rare, and it gates your most important early upgrade — the Standard Air Tank (+30 seconds of oxygen). Detailed farming routes for every material are in our Resource Locations Guide.
Requirements: Powered Base and Habitat Builder
The Scanner Station is a base structure, so everything starts with the Habitat Builder — scan 2 broken fragments (covered in our Habitat Builder Location Guide) and craft it with Titanium x2, Copper Wire x1, and a System Chip.
Second, the station only works in a powered base. The standard early-game power source is the Solar Panel (Titanium x1, Quartz x2), with two important limits: it only works above 200m depth and is weaker at night. Build your Scanner Station base shallow. And remember the golden rule of Proteus construction — no power means no oxygen inside your base, so never let your grid die.
A minimal Scanner Station base is just a Room, a Hatch, a couple of Solar Panels, and the station itself. See our Base Building Guide for the full starter layout and deconstruction refunds (Q deconstructs with a full refund, so early bases cost nothing to relocate).
How to Use the Scanner Station: Step by Step
1. Power up. Confirm your base has power and breathable oxygen before interacting with the station.
2. Select your target resource. Choose from Silver Ore, Lead, Copper, Titanium, Quartz, or Gold based on your current project — air tank, vehicle module, or base expansion.
3. Read the HUD pings. Matching deposits within range appear as markers. Note the general spread before you leave — there is no map to check later.
4. Run the route. Bring a Flashlight for caves (they are pitch black), watch your oxygen, and drop Beacons at rich spots for repeat visits. A Tadpole with a Storage Module turns each ping cluster into a single-trip haul.
5. Switch targets as needed. Finished with Silver? Re-target the station to Copper or Quartz and strip the area again — one powered outpost serves every resource type in range.
HUD pings do not make the water safer. Deeper deposits still demand an upgraded air tank, and caves still hide poison spores — bring health items and plan your route around Oxygen Tunics.
Limited Range & the Outpost Strategy
The Scanner Station's one real limitation is range: it only pings deposits near the base that hosts it. A single station at your main base will cover the starting shallows beautifully and then silently stop helping as you push east with the story.
The answer is the outpost strategy: dot small, cheap Scanner Station bases across the biomes you actually farm. Each outpost is a Room, Hatch, Solar Panels, and the station — remember that Q deconstructs with a full refund, so outposts are free to move as your needs shift. Good outpost spots share the same traits as any good base: flat terrain, shallow water for solar, and proximity to the resources you want. Our Best Base Locations Guide covers site selection in detail.
Main Base Station
Your first Scanner Station goes at your primary base east of the Lifepod. Ping Silver until your air tank is upgraded, then rotate targets freely.
Farm Outposts
Tiny satellite bases near cave networks, wreck fields, and deeper biome borders. Each one extends your ping coverage into a new region.
Tadpole Pairing
Outposts double as Tadpole rest stops. Add a Docking Station and the sub recharges while you sweep the local pings on foot.
Combine Scanner Station pings with placeable Beacons and landmark memorization. Ping clusters shift as you harvest, but Beacons mark the caves and wrecks worth revisiting — together they replace the map Proteus never gives you.
Scanner Station FAQ
The Scanner Station pings a chosen resource on your HUD, marking deposits within its range. Targetable resources are Silver Ore, Lead, Copper, Titanium, Quartz, and Gold.
You need a powered base built with the Habitat Builder — no power means no functioning base. Solar Panels are the standard early power source, but they only work above 200m depth and are weaker at night.
The Scanner Station has limited range and only pings deposits near the base that hosts it. To cover more of the map, build Scanner Stations in small outposts spread across the biomes you farm.
Ping Silver Ore first — it is the biggest early-game bottleneck and gates the Standard Air Tank (Silver x2, Titanium x2, Rubber x1), which adds +30 seconds of oxygen. After your oxygen is upgraded, ping whatever your current build project needs.