What the Vehicle Upgrade Console Does

The Vehicle Upgrade Console is a fabricator you build inside your submarine that lets you install upgrades directly onto your Seamoth or Prawn Suit without leaving the vehicle. Once you construct it and place it in your base, you can swim into your sub, dock at the console, and add modules like depth upgrades, torpedo arms, or efficiency boosters without undocking and manually equipping each one.

This saves time during long expeditions and lets you swap loadouts between dives. Instead of returning to your main base fabricator every time you want to change your submarine's setup, you can do it from inside the vehicle itself — as long as you have the resources and the blueprint for the upgrade you want to install.

Key Takeaways

  • You need the Vehicle Upgrade Console blueprint, which you find in the Aurora wreck or from scanning certain wrecks in the Safe Shallows and Kelp Forest.
  • The console requires titanium, a computer chip, and an advanced wiring kit to build, and takes up one room in your base.
  • You dock your Seamoth or Prawn Suit at the console, then use the fabricator interface to build and install upgrades while inside the vehicle.
  • The console only installs upgrades you have already crafted — it does not craft them from raw materials.
  • You can only use the console when your submarine is docked at it, so you cannot install upgrades mid-dive unless you return to base.

Finding the Vehicle Upgrade Console Blueprint

The most reliable source is the Aurora wreck. Head to the front section of the ship on the ocean floor and look for the blueprint in the cargo hold area. You will need a radiation suit and a way to deal with the radiation damage from the ship itself, so bring repair materials or a repair tool.

If you cannot reach the Aurora yet, you can also scan wrecks in the Safe Shallows and Kelp Forest biomes. The blueprint appears in multiple wreck locations, so if you explore thoroughly and scan every fabricator and console you find, you will eventually unlock it. Scanning takes a few seconds per object, so carry a scanner and check every wreck room you enter.

Building the Console in Your Base

Once you have the blueprint, open your base fabricator and search for "Vehicle Upgrade Console" in the Machines category. The console costs 1 titanium, 1 computer chip, and 1 advanced wiring kit to build. Titanium comes from mining, computer chips come from fabricators, and advanced wiring kits are crafted from copper wire and gold.

Place the console in a room that has space for a large piece of equipment — it takes up a single room slot like a fabricator or aquarium would. The console does not need to be in a specific room type, so you can put it in a multipurpose room or a dedicated equipment room. Once placed, it is ready to use when ready.

Docking Your Submarine and Installing Upgrades

Drive your Seamoth or Prawn Suit up to the console and position it so the docking port aligns. The console has a docking port on one side, so you may need to rotate your vehicle or the console placement to line them up. Once docked, you will see a prompt to interact with the console.

Open the console interface and you will see a fabricator menu. This menu shows only the upgrades you have already built and stored in your inventory or base storage. Select the upgrade you want to install, confirm the action, and the console will remove it from your inventory and attach it to your vehicle. You can install multiple upgrades in one session as long as your vehicle has module slots available.

Different vehicles have different numbers of upgrade slots. The Seamoth has four slots, while the Prawn Suit has six. Once a slot is full, you cannot add another upgrade of that type without removing the old one first.

Removing Upgrades at the Console

You can also use the console to uninstall upgrades. Open the console interface while docked and select the upgrade you want to remove. The console will detach it and place it back in your inventory. This is useful if you want to swap a depth upgrade for a speed upgrade, or remove a weapon module to make room for a storage module.

Removing an upgrade takes a few seconds, just like installing one. You can remove and install multiple upgrades in sequence without undocking, so you can completely reconfigure your vehicle loadout in one trip to the console.

What Upgrades You Can Install

The console works with any upgrade module designed for submarines. Common upgrades include depth modules (which let your vehicle go deeper without taking damage), engine efficiency modules (which reduce power drain), and weapon modules like the torpedo arm or stasis rifle arm for the Prawn Suit. You can also install storage modules, which add inventory space to your vehicle.

Each upgrade must be crafted separately at a fabricator before you can install it at the console. The console itself does not craft upgrades — it only installs ones you have already made. So if you want to install a depth module, you first craft it at your base fabricator, then bring it to the Vehicle Upgrade Console to attach it to your sub.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use the Vehicle Upgrade Console if my submarine is damaged?

Yes, the console will install upgrades on a damaged vehicle. However, you should repair your submarine first using a repair tool or by docking at a moonpool, since damage does not affect upgrade installation but makes your vehicle less reliable during dives.

What happens if I uninstall an upgrade and my inventory is full?

The upgrade will drop into the water next to your submarine. You can pick it up by swimming out and grabbing it, or you can leave it and come back for it later. To avoid this, make sure you have inventory space before removing upgrades.

Can I install upgrades on my submarine while it is in a moonpool?

No, the Vehicle Upgrade Console only works when your submarine is docked directly at the console itself. A moonpool is a different docking system and does not trigger the console interface. You must be at the console to install or remove upgrades.

Do I need multiple consoles if I have both a Seamoth and a Prawn Suit?

No, one console works for both vehicle types. You can dock either your Seamoth or Prawn Suit at the same console and install upgrades on whichever one you have with you. You do not need a separate console for each vehicle.

Can I move the Vehicle Upgrade Console to a different base?

Yes, you can deconstruct it using the base management tool and rebuild it in another base. You will recover most of the materials used to build it, though you lose a small amount in the deconstruction process. The blueprint stays in your PDA once unlocked, so you can build as many consoles as you want in different bases.