Between shopping, crafting, mining, and looting, it’s easy to fill your cargo bay in Starfield. Bethesda created a ton of items to litter its sprawling sci-fi universe, but not all of them are worth collecting. There’s always a good argument for buying more ammunition or a better suit. For some other items, not so much. Some of them are useful but can be easily crafted or scooped up off the ground for free. Others are downright useless and will increase your encumbrance for no good reason. Here are the Starfield items it’s better not to buy, in no particular order.
Food
There’s nothing wrong with Cheddar Snack Crackers or the other tasty morsels that players can find. They’re typically lightweight and even restore small amounts of health when consumed. If you get in a nasty firefight with some pirates, gobbling up everything in the nearest is actually a good idea. That said, there’s zero reason to buy food in Starfield. It’s everywhere. From the fanciest club to the grimiest spaceship, there’s food lying around all over the place. There’s really no excuse for weighing yourself down with pizza and pie when you can just carry a few healing items instead.
Drinks
Buying drinks is a waste of time and money for exactly the same reasons as food. Beverages are everywhere, so the player will never go long without seeing them. Some beverages grant additional buffs beyond their normal healing effects, like boosting O2 for a few minutes. Those perks are nice, especially if you stack a number of complimentary buffs. Even with those caveats, drinks are better off left at home. You can get better versions of the same buffs with other items, so there’s no argument for keeping a ton of drinks around. If you’re desperate for a tiny health boost, drink away, but otherwise, don’t waste your time or credits. On the list of Starfield items not to buy, beverages are up there.
Fiber
Fiber is not one of the worst items, just one of the worst to buy. It’s a common component, and as such, it’s used in a number of crafting recipes. Despite how useful Fiber is, there’s no need to purchase it because it can be easily found in the wild. As long as you’re okay with wandering the proc-gen wilderness in search of crafting components, your pockets will be laden with Fiber before you know it. Given that Fiber is such a basic resource, one would expect to be able to find it early on. That’s exactly the case. Jemison, the same planet where the Lodge is located, is an excellent source of Fiber, so if you’re eager to get crafting at the beginning of the game, help yourself to some free Fiber in the wild.
Nutrient
Like Fiber, Nutrient is a common organic resource that players need for a variety of crafting recipes. If you’re the kind of player who enjoys putting in some serious time at the crafting bench making mods for your weapons and armor, you’re going to need plenty of Nutrient. This resource is also used for some outpost items, so if you have a base in the works, you’ll end up needing this resource eventually. Nutrient can be collected from plants in Starfield, so it’s better not to buy this resource from shops. Just head into the wild and use your scanner to locate some plants ripe for harvesting.
Injector
Some players will argue that there is a time and place for buying Injectors. This healing item does have legitimate applications, after all. The list of conditions it can treat is long: Brain Injury, Concussion, Heatstroke, Hernia, Hypothermia, Lung Damage, Poisoning, and Radiation Poisoning. There’s no doubt it’s a good idea to have an Injector or two on hand; it’s just not a good idea to buy them. The reason is simple: the player can find Injectors in labs and med bays throughout the game. As long as you’re diligent in checking your surroundings, you can get a pile of Injectors for free, making it hard to justify the purchase.
Plushie Cuddleosaur
Yes, it’s cute. No, you should not buy it. The Plushie Cuddleosaur is a waste of money and one of the worst items in Starfield, at least from a mechanical perspective. You won’t get buffs or healing out of this or any other toy in the game. If you want it strictly for roleplaying purposes or think it would be hilarious to fill your ship with 100 cuddly dinos, fine. Even then, you can simply collect them for free since you’ll find a weird amount of these toys lying around during your travels. If your only interest lies in min-maxing your combat stats, passing on this is a no-brainer.
Starfield is available for PC and Xbox Series X/S.
