There are dozens and dozens of crafting materials and other resources that you will need at some point during your adventure in Starfield. Although, minerals such as Ytterbium will be the main resources that trip you up.
From Aluminum to Iridium, minerals play a major role in Starfield. Whether you need them for a certain research project, building something at your Outpost, or adding a weapon or spacesuit mod, they are paramount to your continued survival. Many of them are not easy to obtain, and it could take you hours to figure out where to find a specific mineral. I know I struggled mightily with finding Ytterbium, which I thought was misspelled at first glance.
Getting Ytterbium in Starfield
As with most other minerals in the Settled Systems, you will mainly find Ytterbium as a mineral deposit on specific planets. To check and see if a planet has the possibility of spawning a Ytterbium deposit, go to that planet’s system and then chart a course for the planet itself.
Don’t land on it, though, as you want to scan the planet from your galaxy map before deciding if you want to land at a destination.
By looking at the planet on your map, you will be able to see what available minerals and other resources are available. If you see Ytterbium, which is abbreviated as “Yb,” then you can scan the planet to see exactly where the mineral is richest. This will be color-coded, and you need to land at a spot where Ytterbium’s color shows up.
Once you’re down on the ground on the planet, open up your scanner and begin searching for Ytterbium deposits. They will primarily be on large boulders and show up on your HUD as a blue-highlighted rock when you first find one. Make sure to scan the Ytterbium and then pull out your Cutter weapon to mine the deposit.
After scanning the Ytterbium, it will now appear as a green-highlighted rock on your HUD. You will also see it labeled on your HUD as long as you continue to have your scanner on.
I found a decent amount of planets have Ytterbium as a very rare mineral. This is indicated by the dots next to the mineral’s icon when you scan the planet from your map. The more dots the mineral has by its icon, the rarer it will be to find on the planet.
All planets that do have Ytterbium as an available resource have it marked as very rare, so it will take some time for you to find it.
Planets that have Ytterbium deposits
To make your life easier, I have outlined several planets where I was able to find Ytterbium deposits:
- Tau Ceti V
- Denebola III-A
- Kang I, Kang IV-B, and Kang VIII-C
- Leviathan IV
- Leonis VIII-C
- Rana III-A
- Hawking IV-A
- Maal I
- Celebrai I
As you may notice, most of these planets are quite high-level, so I recommend looking on either Tau Ceti V or Denebola III-A, as these are some of the earliest spots you can encounter Ytterbium in Starfield.
Buying Ytterbium
If you don’t want to travel around the universe looking for Ytterbium, then you can easily buy it. The best place I found to purchase the mineral, and many others, is in Neon on Volii Alpha.
In Neon, you can visit the Neon Mining League shop, which is right next to the Spaceport entrance. Here, you can purchase a dozen Ytterbium at a time for only around 30 credits. It’s a great deal, especially if you just need a few Ytterbium to complete a crafting or research recipe.
