How to get a battery terminal in Subnautica 2

Yes, you can recharge your tools in Subnautica 2 as long as you have a battery terminal. However, it’s pretty easy to miss this feature. When your tools run out of energy, don’t craft new batteries or new tools; swap and recharge their batteries instead. All you need is a battery charger in your base and the right crafting materials on hand.

Here’s where to find the battery terminal blueprint and how to recharge tools in Subnautica 2.

[Ed. note: Before you dive in, be sure to open the character menu and enable all landmark signals. This will make it easier to spot the locations mentioned in this guide.]

How to unlock the battery terminal in Subnautica 2

To unlock the battery terminal blueprint in Subnautica 2, you must scan two battery terminals in the old pioneer buildings. Starting from the Lifepod, travel 380 meters north to the Old Habitat. Enter the room closest to the “welcome home” sign by swimming through the hole in the floor.

Graphic: Marloes Valentina Stella/Polygon | Source images: Unknown Worlds Entertainment/Krafton via Polygon

In the adjacent room, swim up the ladder. Go to the right to find the first battery terminal on the wall, opposite a bunch of glowing pents.

Swim down the ladder and take the tunnel in the southwest. There’s another ladder here, but don’t go up; instead, look to the wall on your right to find the second battery terminal.

With the battery terminal blueprint unlocked, go back to your base and use the habitat builder to place the battery charger on the wall. Here’s the battery terminal crafting recipe:

To charge a battery, place it in the battery terminal’s inventory. You can charge a maximum of six batteries at once. To swap batteries on a tool, such as the sonic resonator or the repair tool, equip the tool first. While holding it in your hand, choose “reload” and move left or right to select different batteries from your inventory. If you wish to remove a battery without replacing it, choose “reload” followed by “unload.”

A player reloads their tool batteries in Subnautica 2.

The best way to ensure your tools are always charged is to craft a few extra batteries and leave them in the battery terminal while you explore. When you come back with near-empty tools, swap the batteries without needing to wait.

If you’re starting out in Subnautica 2, we have a plethora of guides to help you navigate the deep blue sea. Our Subnautica 2 beginner’s guide will set you off in the right direction and our base building tips will assist in planning out your sprawling base. Don’t forget to stock up on food and water, too. (And if you want to get fancy with your food, you’ll want salt!)

If you need help finding materials, we explain how to get the sonic resonator, which you’ll want to mine tons of materials. We have guides on where to find these resources, like lead, sulfur, copper, quartz, and gold.