Supercharged Slots — Counts by Class and What to Put in Them
Supercharged slots are the purple technology cells that substantially raise the stats of whatever you install in them. There are only ever a handful, so what goes in them effectively is your performance — and the game explains almost none of it.
The other half of layout optimisation, adjacency, is covered in Adjacency Bonus.
Class decides the count
From the official Waypoint 4.05 patch notes:
| Class | Supercharged slots |
|---|---|
| C | 1 |
| B | 2 |
| A | 3 |
| S | 4 |
This applies to starships, freighters, and multi-tools. Upgrading class adds slots — take a C-class ship to B and it goes from one slot to two. That’s one of the better reasons to spend nanites on class upgrades.
The exosuit is the exception at a fixed three, in the same positions for every player.
| Equipment | Count | Positions |
|---|---|---|
| Starship · Freighter · Multi-Tool | 1–4 by class | Randomised |
| Exosuit | Always 3 | Fixed (row 1 col 5 · row 2 col 9 · row 3 col 3) |
| Exocraft | Not stated | Fixed |
Because ship and multi-tool positions vary per instance, finding an instance with a good layout sometimes beats upgrading one you already have.
They can hide behind locked cells. If you can’t see any supercharged slots, expand your technology slots first — unlocking cells can reveal them.
How big is the boost, really
This is where sources diverge most.
Measurement-based data says supercharging applies a range, not a flat multiplier:
| Module’s own stat | After supercharging |
|---|---|
| 7% | 26–33% |
| 14% | 28–44% |
| 16% | 29–45% |
| 20% (estimated cap) | 30–50% |
In other words, better modules gain more from supercharging. The commonly quoted figure is 25–30%, with strong modules going higher.
Caveat: the wiki’s Exosuit page states supercharged slots boost “by up to 400% depending on their type” — an order of magnitude away from the measurements above. Which one reflects the current build isn’t verified, so this page leads with the measured figures.
Core technology or upgrade module?
The most practically useful finding: the answer flips as you progress.
- Early on, supercharge the core technology. A supercharged Deflector Shield gives +20% shield strength.
- Late on, that same slot gives only about +5%. The benefit of supercharging core tech shrinks inversely as your overall stat rises.
- So endgame gear wants an S-class module in the slot, beginner gear wants the core technology. The two converge.
The simple current-version guidance most people use:
| Target | Put in the supercharged slot |
|---|---|
| Ship — weapons & hyperdrive | The weapon (core technology) itself |
| Ship — pulse drive | Your best upgrade module |
| Multi-tool — weapons | The weapon itself |
| Multi-tool — everything else | Your best upgrade module |
It stacks with adjacency
Supercharging and adjacency work together, and the order matters.
Supercharging inflates the base stat first, and adjacency then emits 5% of that inflated number. If hyperdrive range reaches 125%, the adjacency link emits 5% of that 125% — 6.25%.
Which means putting your supercharged module at the centre of the cluster is how you collect both at once.
What not to put there
Not everything benefits. Some are useless, and one is actively negative.
| Technology | Result when supercharged |
|---|---|
| Mining Beam | −10% mining speed (+25% heat dispersion) |
| Radar Amplifier | +25% scan — does nothing in practice |
| Advanced Exocraft Laser | +25% — does nothing in practice |
| Analysis Visor Upgrade · Boltcaster Ricochet Module · Launch System Recharger | No effect |
The principle: parts with no inherent ability of their own don’t belong in a supercharged slot.
Allocating the slots
With only one to four available, allocation itself is the strategy.
- Don’t dump them all on the first technology you place. It blocks stronger layouts later.
- Assign two or three to one high-impact technology first.
- Reserve at least one for a second priority.
- Once they’re spent, prioritise technologies with larger module counts before space runs out.