Bytes

Bytes are a virtual currency added in the Research Update. Bytes are used to purchase/unlock new schematics. Bytes are gained by researching various objects in the Research Chamber ranging from Research Items (high output but rare) to Resources (cheap but low output), or by collecting Research Samples from various plants, rocks or Astroneer bodies. Bytes are shared between all players in a multiplayer game, along with any schematic unlocks.

Byte Outputs

Research Sample

Research Samples spawn on various plants and rocks around the planets, as well inside of the EXO Dynamics Research Aids scattered on the planets. Organic and mineral samples respawn within a few minutes of being gathered. They can be a valuable source of bytes, with the amount gained increasing based on which planet and how deep the player goes. However, the game is able to glitch and organic/mineral samples may completely disappear from all planets .

Research Item

Research Items grant a slow, steady stream of bytes when placed in a Research Chamber. The amount gained per item increases based on the depth and which planet the item was found on.

Resources

Resources are able to be researched for bytes, and, running the Research Chamber at full power, each takes 2 minutes 30 seconds to complete, with the exception of all types of Storm Data, which take 15 seconds each to complete if the Research Chamber is running at full power. Soil and Hydrazine cannot be researched.

Natural Resources

Resource	Byte Value	Bytes per Minute
Compound	50	20
Resin	50	20
Organic	50	20
Ammonium	75	30
Clay	75	30
Quartz	75	30
Graphite	75	30
Laterite	75	30
Malachite	100	40
Sphalerite	100	40
Wolframite	100	40
Hematite	200	80
Titanite	200	80
Lithium	200	80
Astronium	500	200

Refined Resources

Resource	Byte Value	Bytes per Minute
Carbon	75	30
Ceramic	125	50
Glass	125	50
Aluminum	125	50
Copper	200	80
Zinc	200	80
Tungsten	200	80
Iron	250	100
Titanium	250	100

Atmospheric Resources

Resource	Byte Value	Bytes per Minute
Hydrogen	100	40
Nitrogen	200	80
Argon	300	120
Sulfur	300	120
Methane	400	160
Helium	500	200

The byte value and rate of 5 units of gas (a single canister) are equivalent to that of one unit of gas. However, when it comes to automated research, only 5 units of gas (a single canister) can be moved. The amount of Bytes converted per Atmospheric Condenser per minute is influenced by the PPU on different planets, and can be calculated with this equation (assuming 5 units for research):

Total Bytes per minute = 60s / ( 5 units * 1000 / PPU ) * Byte Value = 0.012 * PPU * Byte Value

The most efficient approach is utilizing Methane on Atrox for research. Which provides 100 PPU and yields 480 bytes per minute. Nevertheless, obtaining power on Atrox poses challenges.

Composite Resources

Resource	Byte Value	Bytes per Minute
Rubber	150	60
Plastic	250	100
Aluminum Alloy	450	180
Tungsten Carbide	350	140
Graphene	350	140
Diamond	850	340
Silicone	600	240
Explosive Powder	600	240
Steel	700	280
Titanium Alloy	850	280
Nanocarbon Alloy	1000	400

Storm Data

Resource	Byte Value	Bytes per Minute
Storm Data	100	400
Alpha Storm Data	150	600
Delta Storm Data	250	1000
Zeta Storm Data	400	1600

Zeta Storm Data has the highest bytes per minute rate of all researchable items in the game, however, Alpha Storm Data, Delta Storm Data, and Zeta Storm Data cannot be obtained nor spawned in without the Astroneer: Glitchwalkers DLC.

Other Resources

Resource	Byte Value	Bytes per Minute
EXO Chip	500	200
Scrap	300	120

Soil Centrifuge

Since soil is readily available on all planets, the soil centrifuge provides an almost unlimited supply of resources that can be researched. This potentially offers virtually free bytes. However, each canister yields only a modest amount of resources and, thus, also bytes.

The table below compares the yield of bytes per canister across the different resources available at the soil centrifuge. Evidently, clay is the most efficient choice in terms of byte output per canister.

Name	Bytes	Resource Per Centrifuge Tank	Bytes Per Canister
Compound	50	8	200
Resin	50	8	200
Organic	50	8	200
Clay	75	6	225
Quartz	75	4	150
Graphite	75	2	75
Ammonium	75	1	37.5

And players can just refine organic, clay or quartz for more byte.

Name	Bytes	Resource Per Centrifuge Tank	Bytes Per Canister
Carbon	75	8	300
Ceramic	125	6	375
Glass	125	4	250

Trivia

• A total of 284,050 bytes are needed to research every Schematic in the game.
• Small items can be researched until they have 1 byte left and then consumed/used as usual.
• Medium Resource Canister and Large Resource Canister don't store the value of research bytes left for each item. But players can not use this feature automatically, because items can not be removed from the research chamber automatically.