How to mine resources faster in Starfield by overcharging the mining laser

There are many ways to make a living and expand your operations in Starfield. Mining is one such way and provides critical resources for crafting, research, and other outpost needs. Blasting space rocks can get monotonous, though, so here’s a hidden trick for how to mine resources faster in Starfield by overcharging the mining laser.

How to mine resources faster in Starfield by overcharging the mining laser

The mining laser has a hidden alternate fire mode that overcharges the beam and completes resource mining faster. You can activate this function by holding down the ADS button while already firing the beam. If you’re using a controller, simply hold down the right trigger to activate the beam and then press the left trigger to activate the overdrive beam. If you’re on the mouse and keyboard, start firing the beam with left click on the mouse and then right-click.

You’ll know it’s working when the beam intensity increases and the color changes from red to orange. This also drains the charge faster, so make sure to be accurate when overcharging. Ore mining time is significantly decreased by doing this, so enjoy some decent time savings whenever you happen across large resource deposits such as mines.

Another perk of this function is that you can deal more damage with the mining laser when you need to drop some hostiles. Combine it with some weapon upgrades, and you’ll have a decent laser gun in your hands for quick damage bursts.

Screenshot: Bethesda

Since the mining laser never runs out of ammo and only needs to recharge, you can use the overcharge function whenever you want, really. There’s no reason not to use this when you happen across single-resource nodes, and it cuts mining time in half. Now get out there and start gathering more resources with improved convenience.

Learning how to mine faster by overcharging the mining laser is just one of the countless tricks for improving your Starfield experience. We have several more guides related to resources, so check out how to mine minerals in the ground, where to find rare Caelumite, and where to buy resources in Starfield if you could use a break from the mines.