Starfield how to use a boost pack

Stuck trying to figure out how to use the boost pack in Starfield? We’ve been there, puzzled by why the jetpack strapped to the back of our character won’t seem to work. A space-faring adventure wouldn’t complete without a jetpack to bounce around low-gravity planets and dart across otherworldly landscapes at the press of a button. Rest assured, Bethesda Studios’ Starfield has boost packs, but you’ll need to unlock a specific skill before you can fire them up and get back to exploration.

We’ll walk you through how to unlock the boost pack in Starfield. For more help on your interplanetary travels, here’s where to get Digipicks, how to lockpick in Starfield, and how to power up the gravity drive in Starfield.

How to use a boost pack in Starfield

To use a boost pack in Starfield, you need to invest a skill point in the Boost Pack Training skill, found under the Tech skill tree in the skill menu. Without the Rank 1 Boost Pack Training skill, attempting to use the boost pack after a jump even with one equipped, will see your character fall ungraciously back to the ground. Much like pickpocketing, boost pack jumping isn’t available at the start of the game unless you choose the Bounty Hunter or Soldier Starfield backgrounds in the character creator.

Boost Pack Training skill has four ranks, each gated by a challenge (typically using the boost pack a set number of times) and costing one skill point, with each subsequent rank of boost pack training providing a buff:

• Rank 1 – You can now utilise boost packs.
• Rank 2 – Using a boost pack expends less fuel.
• Rank 3 – Boost pack fuel regenerates more quickly.
• Rank 4 – Doubles previous bonuses.

There are also several different types of boost packs. Useless information if you can’t use a boost pack yet, but they come into play once you unlock the skill, and must be equipped from your inventory. They are:

• Basic boost pack – Basic is, as the name suggests, rudimentary
• Balanced boost pack – Balanced combines boost height and distance.
• Power boost pack – Power prioritises boost lift, so you can launch higher into the air.
• Skip boost pack – Skip mimics a skipping movement with a more powerful forward motion when using the boost pack.

These variants can be very useful for moving through the different gravity-types you’ll find on planets in Starfield. After the One Small Step main quest, you’ll join Constellation at The Lodge in New Atlantis, and the Constellation pack you’re provided with comes with a Basic boost pack. 

You can further improve the stats of your boost pack at a Spacesuit Workbench like the one found in the basement of The Lodge in New Atlantis. It’s here than you can also modify the boost pack variant.

How to boost pack in Starfield

To boost pack in Starfield, press the jump button, then press it again while your character is in mid-air. You’ll boost through the air for a short period, enabling you to hurdle over inconvenient obstacles and jump up to high ledges, for example. Keep in mind, though, that you’ll only be able to make use of your boost pack as long as it has fuel (marked by the gauge just above your health bar in the bottom right of the screen), which is, in most cases, two to three boosts maximum.

This is especially useful in low gravity areas where you can fly pretty far, and even use your boost pack to reach some fairly high-up places. While exploring alien world and moons, and the most distant Starfield planets, it’s also a great way of saving your stamina. You can boost pack while sprinting to maintain your momentum, but will regain some of your run stamina while in the air (unless, of course, you’re encumbered).

Now that you’ve solved the boost pack mystery, we also have guides covering how to dock in Starfield. As well as that, we’ve got a Starfield quest list and Starfield powers list, along with a breakdown of the Starfield skills you can unlock during your playthrough.

Are boost packs useful in Starfield?

Boost packs are extremely useful in Starfield, offering increased mobility for both exploration and combat.

Can boost packs explode in Starfield?

By aiming your shots into one, you can actually detonate an enemy combatant’s boost pack if they’re wearing one, causing them to explode.