Starfield: How to heal in and out of combat

Throughout your Starfield playthrough, you’ll partake in your fair share of combat - and while that’s hugely fun, you’re going to want to make sure you know how to heal, plus we’ve got a handy shortcut you can take.

It can be somewhat overwhelming entering a game like Starfield. It’s so incredibly vast - with over 1,000 planets to explore - and there are so many gameplay mechanics to get to grips with. It doesn’t help that you’re really thrown in at the deep end with little in the way of a tutorial, so if you’ve entered your first gunfight and you’re taking damage at an alarming pace, worry not. We’ve got all the information you need on how to heal both in and out of combat.

Take a look at Starfield in action below.

There are three main components to healing. First, you need to acquire aid items. If you’re healing during combat, you’re going to want to take advantage of the favourites system. For healing outside of combat, your best bet is taking the time to see which of your inventory items best suits your affliction.

How do I obtain heal items in Starfield?

Heal items can be obtained via three methods. You can scavenge them from the world around you (including from enemy corpses), you can craft healing items at Pharmaceutical Labs, or you can purchase items at MedBays located in the game’s major cities including New Atlantis, Akila City and Neon.

To craft at Pharmaceutical Labs, certain materials are required. If you don’t have the materials you need whilst hovering over a particular ‘recipe’, you can press X to track to help you locate these items in the game’s world. Labs are found across the galaxy, but you’ll easily find a full set of equipment in the Constellation Lodge basement.

Med Packs and Trauma Packs are perhaps the most important healing items. These partly refill your health bar, so you’ll want plenty on hand. You’ll also acquire other afflictions during your travels throughout the settled systems including heatstroke, radiation poisoning, sprained bones, frostbite, and concussion just to name a few.

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Other healing items - examples including Boosted Injector, Bandages, and Addichrone - treat those specific afflictions so make sure you’re well stocked with those too. To see which afflictions you're suffering from, press Menu and view your health bar to the right of your character. Coloured symbols indicate health afflictions. Press Y to examine them closer. At the time of writing, I see I’m suffering from burns. For burns, sprinting and melee damage causes extra health damage until the affliction is healed.

To heal an affliction, enter your inventory and find a heal item with a symbol that matches the symbol listed on your health status. That’ll then rid you of the issue, and prevent further health damage.

How do I heal from my inventory in Starfield?

To heal from your inventory, simply press Menu on your controller, and then select inventory in the bottom right corner. Scroll down to Aid and select A. You’ll then be able to see all of your healing items. To use an item, scroll down to it and press A.

You can see the purpose of each heal item listed on the right hand side, including how it’ll affect your health bar and which specific afflictions it will assist with.

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How do I heal during combat in Starfield without opening my inventory?

You can actually favourite heal items so you can quickly use them in combat without having to open up your inventory. To favourite a heal item, press Menu on your controller and then select your inventory in the bottom right corner.

Scroll down to the item you’d like to favourite. For battle heals, I advise using Med Packs and Trauma Packs. Affliction heals will help very little during combat. Once you’re hovering over the item, press Y. This will bring up an extended version of your D-pad featuring 12 slots. Use the directional arrows to pick a slot, and then select A to lock in your decision.

During combat, you can then simply press on the relevant D-pad arrow to quickly select your heal item and press A to activate it. The favouriting system can also be used to favourite guns, allowing you to switch weapons during combat without opening your inventory.