Carry capacity plays a fundamental role in Starfield. Your carrying capacity basically dictates how many items you can carry at any time. It may be an annoying proposition to some, but it adds a bit of realism in the game. You can only carry a limited number of items in the game. If you want to carry more, then you will need to increase your carry capacity in Starfield.
From a realistic perspective, a person can only carry a certain amount of items weighing a certain amount. Beyond that, it will be unlikely they can carry anything. The same logic is applied in Starfield where your character can carry things up to a certain weight.
Understanding Starfield Carry Capacity
In Starfield, you start with a very basic carrying capacity of 135KG that lets you hold and store many weapons and items. But it can become restricting as you progress further into the game. You can view your carrying capacity by opening the character menu and going to the inventory section.
You will notice two values here, towards the bottom of the list of items you are currently holding. One on the left and one on the right. The figure on the left is the total weight of all items you carry, while the figure on the right is the maximum weight you can carry.
In Starfield, every item has a set mass you must consider when picking them up. For example, the Equinox Laser Rifle has a mass of 3.20, and all other weapons within the Laser Rifle category weigh about the same.
Similarly, each piece of clothing and every aid item has its weight. Once you pick up a certain number of items that exceed the initial 135KG limit, you will become over-encumbered. As a result, you will start to use Oxygen at a greater rate than normal. Thankfully there are ways in which you can increase your carrying capacity.
How to Increase Carrying Capacity in Starfield?
There are several ways you can increase your carrying capacity in Starfield. Some of these methods are temporary, while others are permanent.
Acquire the Weight Lifting Perk
The easiest way to increase your carrying capacity in Starfield is to acquire the Weight Lifting perk. This perk is found in the Physical skill tree and can be acquired fairly early in the game. This perk can be ranked up, which doubles its effectiveness at every level. The Weight Lifting Perk has four levels;
Level 1: Increases your total carrying capacity by 10 kilograms
Level 2: Increases your total carrying capacity by 25 kilograms
Level 3: Increases your total carrying capacity by 50 kilograms
Level 4: Increases your total carrying capacity by 100 kilograms
Use Temporary Items
Apart from the Weight Lifting Perk, you can use certain food and drink items to increase your carrying capacity. It is important to note that these increases are only temporary and last as long as the effects of the item. You will come across plenty of items that temporarily increase your carrying capacity. Some of these include:
United Colonies Battle Meal Multipack: This item increases your carrying capacity by 8 Kg for 8 minutes
Departure Time: This cocktail adds 4 Kg to your carrying capacity for 5 minutes
Alien Liquor: This drink increases your carrying capacity by 10 kg for 5 minutes
Research Pack Mods
You can mod your suits to add more carrying capacity to your inventory. This is a rather long method and requires you to complete Pack Mod research projects at a laboratory. These projects often require lots of materials. Additionally, you will need to be at a certain Spacesuit design level.
After you complete the projects, add these mods to your suits to give yourself more carrying capacity.
Use your Spaceship’s Storage
If you find yourself with many items you want to keep you can offload them into your spaceship’s storage. Your spaceship usually has a very high storage capacity. This gives you freedom in what items you can keep. Interacting with the cargo hold panel next to your pilot seat will allow you to transfer over items to your ship.
Store Items in your Companions Inventory
This method works great for emergencies or if you ever find yourself in an area with no immediate access to your ship. Simply let your companion hold on to one or several items by conversing with them. Select the option “Let’s Trade Gear”. They will hold it for as long as needed and keep it safe.
