How do you use the Starfield jetpack? Known by a couple of different terms in-game, we all know about these rucksack-style personal propulsion devices from decades of sci-fi pop culture entertainment. Despite what you think you know, how you go about actually obtaining and using the Starfield boostpack isn’t as straightforward as you’d expect.
Before we give you the means to jump gaps, climb cliffs, and break falls, consider where you’ll use these handy feats of engineering. Our Starfield planets guide can help you plot a course for your best Starfield ships. Be careful, though: without the best Starfield guns and Starfield weapon mods, your boostpack will only get you so far. Check out the best Starfield backgrounds to potentially get immediate access to these handy contraptions.
How to use a jetpack in Starfield
Even if you have one equipped, you won’t be able to use a Starfield jetpack until you’ve unlocked the Boost Pack Training skill.
You can unlock Boost Pack Training in the Tech tree with just one skill point. Check out our dedicated guide if you need to know more about the other Starfield Skills and skill trees.
Once you’ve obtained the Boost Pack Training skill and equipped one through the ‘Packs’ section of the inventory screen, you can activate your Starfield boost pack by tapping the jump button while in mid-air. This is great for gaining extra height or for breaking a fall by slowing your momentum.
Holding the jump button will extend its use by draining fuel to keep you airborne for longer, allowing you to climb higher or even glide
How to get a Starfield jetpack
You’ll gain a Starfield boost pack not long after reaching the lodge through the Starfield main story, but there’s a good chance you’ll loot one from an enemy long before that.
Either way, nobody will actually teach you how to use the new contraption you’re given. You could find a bunch of different boost packs before figuring out how to activate whichever one you throw on your back.
Are all Starfield jetpacks the same?
Like just about any piece of gear or equipment you’ll come across, Starfield jetpacks come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and rarities. Random stats and applied modifications can greatly alter how your Starfield boostpack performs.
Beyond their general usefulness, Starfield jetpacks largely offer defensive stats like any other wearable, with rarer versions coming with perks like -15% damage reduction bonuses.
How to improve Starfield boostpacks
You can apply Starfield jetpack modifications at a Spacesuit Workbench to increase the applied resistances, storage space, and fuel behavior of your favorite boostpack.
Multiple mods can be applied at once. You can even turn them into portable medkits to regenerate your HP more quickly, automatically administer its own recharging restorative, or help you get more from your medicines.
By ranking up the Boost Pack Training skill, you’ll notice reduced fuel consumption, faster fuel regen rates, and a final boost to all the previously unlocked perks.
Are Starfield boostpacks and jetpacks different things?
Starfield boostpacks and jetpacks are the same thing. They’re largely known as boostpacks in-game, but with how synonymous the term ‘jetpack’ is to the idea of a back-worn personal propulsion device these days, it’s hard to imagine the majority calling Starfield jetpacks by their proper name. We’re keeping things simple.
Still looking for more? While a good Starfield wiki can be a handy source of information, our new Starfield Database goes further, offering you daily news, searchable databanks, and even interactive tools.