No Man's Sky - How to switch multi-tools

A promotional image of No Man's Sky.
Credit: Hello Games

A promotional image of No Man's Sky.
Credit: Hello Games

When travelling across No Man's Sky's worlds, you'll come across various tools with unique slots and upgradable features. You'll be able to collect six of these tools at any time. However, as a new player, you may have difficulty switching between your tools. But don't fret because we'll make it easier for you with our guide on how to switch multi-tools in No Man's Sky.

With how multi-tools are added to your collection, you might assume that your original tools are sacrificed automatically when accepting new ones from Vy'Keen. However, that isn't the case, as your tools just become part of your multi-tool, and you need to switch between them to access them.

How to switch multi-tools in No Man's Sky

The multi-tool is one of the main devices you'll use when playing No Man's Sky.

It's generally used for the mining tools and weapons players own in-game. Moreover, its functions include locating and harvesting resources for players.

Some of the specializations of the multi-tool include the pistol, rifle, Experimental, Royal, Sentinel, and Alien. Note that each multi-tool has a class, with the S-class being the most powerful, followed by classes A, B, and C.

Switching among your tools with the multi-tool is fairly easy to do in-game. To do so, follow the instructions below.

An image of the multi-tool and its slots in No Man's Sky.
expand image
Credit: Hello Games
  1. If on PC, tap "X" on your keyboard or down on your D-pad if you use a controller. This will bring up your multi-tool.
  2. Next, navigate to the last option on your left, "utilities". This is symbolized by a gear icon.
  3. Now, navigate through the utilities until you reach "Swap Multi-Tool".
  4. Once you bring up the multi-tool, you can see all the tools you own.
  5. You can now scroll through your tools, selecting the one you want to use.

If you want to make handling the multi-tool even easier, if you're on PC, you can quick bind it.

To do so, head to the "Swap Multi-Tool" section of the "Quick Menu", hold "Ctrl" on your keyboard, and then tap any number from zero to nine on your keyboard to bind a tool. You can now press that same number and raise your chosen tool.

For more content like this, feel free to check out our other guides for the game, such as where to find Crystallized Hearts in No Man's Sky and how to find Space Stations.