Quicksilver is the third currency in No Man's Sky, separate from units and nanites, and it exists for one purpose: unlocking the game's exclusive cosmetic rewards. If you have seen players with unusual ships, capes, posters, or companion creatures and wondered how they got them, the answer is almost always quicksilver.
The details here were checked in October 2026 against the official No Man's Sky wiki, IGN, and r/NoMansSkyTheGame. Because the rotating shop stock and weekly missions change constantly, I describe the systems rather than listing specific items that may no longer be available.
What quicksilver is for
Quicksilver is spent exclusively at the Quicksilver Synthesis Companion, a robotic vendor aboard the Space Anomaly. Its catalogue is purely cosmetic and quality-of-life: exclusive ship types, exocraft, capes, decorative base parts, posters, companion eggs, and similar collectibles. None of it affects raw power, so quicksilver is for players who care about personalization and collecting rather than min-maxing. That also means you never need it to beat the game, which takes the pressure off.
The catalogue rotates over time, and some items appear only during limited windows, so collectors keep a quicksilver reserve ready for when something they want comes into stock.
Because quicksilver is purely cosmetic, it occupies an interesting place in the game's design. It gives long-term and returning players something to work toward without creating any power gap between those who grind it and those who do not. A new player is never disadvantaged in combat, exploration, or trading for lacking quicksilver; they simply have fewer decorative options. This is a deliberate and player-friendly choice, and it means you can treat quicksilver as a relaxed, optional pursuit rather than a box you must tick to keep up.
The range of what quicksilver unlocks is genuinely broad, which is part of why collectors enjoy it. Beyond ships and capes, the shop has offered decorative base parts, posters and trophies to display at your bases, exocraft, and companion creatures you can hatch and bring along on your travels. Because the stock rotates and expands with updates, the catalogue is less a fixed list to complete and more an evolving wardrobe of options. That makes quicksilver a pursuit with no real finish line, which suits players who like having a gentle, open-ended goal to chip away at across many play sessions.
How to earn quicksilver
Quicksilver comes almost entirely from the Nexus, the mission terminal aboard the Space Anomaly. You board the Anomaly by summoning it in space, then interact with the Nexus to see available missions. There are typically daily and weekly missions, and the weekly community mission tends to pay a large quicksilver reward for completing a multi-stage objective. Running the quick daily missions and the big weekly one is the core of any quicksilver routine.
Missions range from scanning and combat to collecting specific materials, and many can be done with other players for faster completion. You cannot buy quicksilver with units or nanites, so there is no shortcut around the missions themselves.
The daily missions refresh on a regular cadence, giving you a small, repeatable source if you log in often, while the weekly community mission is a larger, multi-step objective that the whole player base works through together. The weekly in particular is where the bulk of any serious quicksilver stash comes from, since its payout dwarfs the dailies. Objectives vary from week to week, which keeps the routine from going stale, and because the missions send you to do normal activities, running them rarely feels like a detour from the game you were already playing.
Building a quicksilver routine
The efficient approach is to visit the Nexus regularly and clear whatever is on offer:
- Knock out the daily missions whenever you log in, since they are fast and add up.
- Prioritize the weekly community mission, which pays the biggest single quicksilver reward.
- Team up with other players on the Anomaly to speed through objectives.
- Keep a reserve so you can buy rotating or limited items the moment they appear.
Because the Nexus also hands out nanites and units on many missions, a quicksilver routine doubles as general income. If you want to make the most of those side rewards, our guides on farming nanites and earning units explain where those currencies are best spent.
If you are efficient, a single visit to the Anomaly can knock out the available dailies and advance the weekly in one sitting. Because the Anomaly is multiplayer, joining others already working the same mission can speed things up considerably, and it is one of the friendlier corners of the game for meeting other explorers. There is no pressure to optimize, though; even a casual player who simply drops in whenever they remember will slowly accumulate enough quicksilver for the items they care about.
The Space Anomaly as a hub
The Space Anomaly is worth visiting for more than quicksilver. It houses vendors, research terminals where you unlock blueprints, the teleporter network, and a social space where you meet other players. Making the Anomaly a regular stop folds quicksilver earning into your normal play rather than treating it as a separate chore. Summon it, run the Nexus missions, check the Synthesis Companion's stock, and carry on.
The research terminals aboard the Anomaly are especially valuable for newer players, since they let you spend nanites to unlock whole categories of blueprints you would otherwise gather slowly in the field. Combining a quicksilver run with a blueprint-unlocking session makes each Anomaly visit do double duty. Over time the Anomaly becomes less a place you visit for a specific errand and more a central hub you pass through constantly, which is exactly how the game intends it to function.
The social dimension is part of the appeal too. The Anomaly is shared with other players, so you will often see explorers coming and going, comparing ships, and teaming up on Nexus missions. For a game that can otherwise feel vast and solitary, it is a welcome gathering point, and running quicksilver missions alongside strangers is one of the easiest ways to dip into the multiplayer side without committing to anything. Even if you prefer to play solo, the Anomaly's conveniences alone make it worth summoning regularly.
A note on patience
Quicksilver accrues steadily rather than quickly, especially if you only play now and then, because the biggest rewards are tied to the weekly cadence. That is by design: cosmetics are meant to be earned over time, not rushed. If you are collecting toward a specific reward, check whether it is a permanent catalogue item or a limited one, and plan your weeks accordingly.
The limited and seasonal items are the ones to watch most closely. No Man's Sky periodically introduces special cosmetics tied to events or updates, and some of these pass through the quicksilver shop only for a window before rotating out. If you spot something you love and have the quicksilver, it is often wiser to buy it than to assume it will be there next month. Permanent catalogue items, by contrast, can wait, so you can prioritize spending on whatever looks time-limited and save the evergreen rewards for when your balance is healthier.
Because the rewards are cosmetic, there is genuinely no pressure to grind. Plenty of long-time players have barely touched the quicksilver shop and enjoy the game just as much, while others treat collecting its rewards as a satisfying meta-goal that keeps them returning week after week. Neither approach is more correct. The healthiest way to think about quicksilver is as a slow side collection you dip into when a particular item catches your eye, not as a currency you are falling behind on. Approached that way, the weekly Nexus visit becomes a pleasant ritual rather than a chore.
For newer players, it is worth setting expectations clearly: you will not amass a large quicksilver balance overnight, and that is normal. The rewards are designed to accumulate across weeks of casual play, and the biggest, flashiest cosmetics naturally take the longest to afford. Rather than comparing your balance to a veteran's, focus on the next single item you actually want and work toward that. Hitting a specific goal, say a particular ship or companion, is far more satisfying than vaguely grinding the currency, and it keeps the whole pursuit feeling purposeful. Over a few months of dropping into the Nexus, you will be surprised how much you have collected without ever feeling like you were farming. And because the catalogue keeps growing with each update, there is always something new to work toward, which is part of what gives long-term players a reason to keep returning.
About our No Man's Sky services
Quicksilver itself is earned through the Nexus and cannot be transferred or purchased, so the honest answer is that there is no legitimate way to simply hand you quicksilver. What we do offer for completionists is the No Man's Sky platinum trophy service, which handles the game's long trophy grind on PS4 and PS5 for a game you already own.
If you want to see everything we offer for the game, the No Man's Sky page lists it all. Quicksilver cosmetics, though, are best chased through the Nexus yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is quicksilver used for?
Quicksilver buys exclusive cosmetics and quality-of-life items from the Quicksilver Synthesis Companion on the Space Anomaly, including special ships, capes, base parts, posters, and companion eggs. It does not affect power.
How do I earn quicksilver?
Run Nexus missions aboard the Space Anomaly. Daily missions give smaller amounts and the weekly community mission pays a large reward. There is no way to buy quicksilver with units or nanites.
Where is the quicksilver shop?
The Quicksilver Synthesis Companion is a robotic vendor aboard the Space Anomaly, which you summon in space. Its stock rotates over time, so check back regularly for new items.
Can I buy quicksilver with real money or units?
No. Quicksilver is earned only through Nexus missions and cannot be purchased with units, nanites, or real money. The missions are the only source.
Is the weekly mission worth doing?
Yes. The weekly community mission typically gives the largest single quicksilver payout. If you only do one thing for quicksilver each week, make it that mission.
Does quicksilver affect my power or stats?
No. Quicksilver rewards are cosmetic and quality-of-life only, so you never need it to progress or beat the game. It is purely for collectors and players who enjoy customizing their look.