Starfield New Game Plus Guide 2026: The Quantum Entanglement Device, Power Upgrades, and How to Plan Your Cycles

Starfield New Game Plus Guide 2026: The Quantum Entanglement Device, Power Upgrades, and How to Plan Your Cycles

New Game Plus in Starfield at launch was a bold idea executed with a brutal trade-off. Step through the Unity after completing the main story and you wake up in a new universe with your level, your skills, and your Starborn powers intact. Everything else? Gone. Your weapons, armor, ships, outposts, credits, your entire inventory, all of it wiped clean. You start over with practically nothing, but your character build and whatever powers you’ve unlocked.

Todd Howard called it “a weird, deep question” that the game was asking the player, and he’s probably right that the philosophical weight of that choice got lost on a lot of people. Most players saw it as losing fifty hours of progress for the privilege of doing the same quests again with slightly better powers. A lot of people never went through the Unity at all because the cost felt too high.

The Free Lanes update fundamentally changed the New Game Plus equation. The Quantum Entanglement Device lets you carry selected gear through the Unity. Quantum Essence can now upgrade your Starborn powers directly once you’ve entered New Game Plus, eliminating the need to repeatedly visit temples. And the combination of these two systems means New Game Plus is no longer quite the brutal reset it used to be. It’s a strategic decision with tools to control what you keep.

There are some restrictions, though, particularly when it comes to Quantum Essence and when you can actually upgrade your powers. Understanding those restrictions before stepping through the Unity can save you a considerable amount of time and frustration.

Here’s how everything works and how to plan your cycles so you’re getting stronger every time instead of starting from nothing.

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What Carries Over (and What Doesn’t)

When you step through the Unity into a new cycle, several important things carry over automatically. You retain your character level and accumulated experience, all unlocked skills and their ranks, your background and traits, and any Starborn powers you’ve acquired, including their current upgrade levels.

Everything else generally resets. Your ordinary inventory is emptied, your credits go to zero, your ships and outposts are gone, and your faction progress, quest completion, companion relationships, and story choices all reset. You’re in a new universe, and nobody knows you.

Quantum Essence does not carry over into your next universe, so don’t make the mistake of accumulating a massive stockpile with the intention of spending it after entering the Unity. If you’re preparing to leave, use whatever Essence you can before crossing.

The exception to the equipment reset is anything you’ve successfully stored in the Quantum Entanglement Device, which we’ll get into shortly.

You also receive a Starborn Guardian ship when you begin New Game Plus. This unique vessel improves as you complete additional cycles, eventually reaching the Starborn Guardian VI after your sixth Unity crossing. That’s the maximum version, so going through the Unity a seventh, eighth, or twentieth time won’t make the Guardian any stronger.

For players chasing the best possible Starborn Guardian, six crossings are enough. Whether you actually want to repeat the process that many times is another question entirely.

The Quantum Entanglement Device: How to Build It

The Quantum Entanglement Device is a craftable storage system that lets you preserve selected items when crossing the Unity into your next universe. It’s arguably the most important addition to New Game Plus, especially for players who have spent dozens of hours collecting and upgrading their equipment.

You can’t build it at the beginning of the game. The schematic becomes available late in the main story, after you’ve collected the necessary Artifacts and assembled the Armillary. At that point, you can find the Prototype Schematic in your room at The Lodge.

The timing is deliberate. The device becomes available when you’re preparing to leave your current universe, giving you an opportunity to decide which possessions are worth taking along.

The crafting recipe requires four components:

The Adaptive Frame, Isocentered Magnet, and Tau Grade Rheostat are relatively common manufactured components. You can purchase them from merchants throughout the Settled Systems, including vendors around New Atlantis, or craft certain components yourself if you have the necessary skills and resources.

Quantum Essence is the component you’ll need to put some effort into collecting. You obtain it by defeating Starborn enemies, and the Free Lanes update expanded those opportunities by allowing players to earn Essence from destroying Starborn ships in space combat.

If you’ve been playing through the main story and encountering Starborn along the way, you’ve probably accumulated some already. Check your Powers Menu rather than your regular inventory to see how much you have available.

Once you’ve acquired the schematic and materials, construct the device at The Lodge and interact with it to deposit the equipment you want to preserve.

Just remember that the device doesn’t automatically save your entire inventory. You have to choose what goes inside, and anything you leave behind is subject to the normal New Game Plus reset.

What to Store and the Capacity System

The base Quantum Entanglement Device holds 50 mass worth of items. Mass, not the number of items. A lightweight pistol takes up much less capacity than a heavy sniper rifle or a full set of armor, which means you need to think carefully about what deserves a place in your limited storage.

My first priority would be your best weapon, particularly something you’ve spent X-Tech upgrading with the perfect legendary effects. A weapon you’ve invested considerable time and resources into is much harder to replace than something you picked up from a random pirate, and bringing it into your next universe gives you an immediate advantage.

Next would be your best spacesuit, helmet, and boost pack. A legendary suit with optimized effects can make a substantial difference, particularly on higher difficulties, and there’s no sense throwing away equipment you’ve spent hours perfecting if you can preserve it.

Rare crafting resources and X-Tech are worth considering as well. If you’ve accumulated valuable materials that you know you’ll need in your next universe, bringing some along can save you from having to start gathering everything again.

Ammunition is also worth checking. Since ammunition has zero mass, it can be particularly useful to transfer alongside your favorite weapons when the device allows it. There’s no reason to bring an incredible rifle through the Unity only to discover you’ve got nothing to shoot with.

What I wouldn’t waste valuable capacity on is common equipment or easily replaceable resources. You’ll find plenty of ordinary weapons, suits, and crafting materials during your next playthrough, and every unit of storage capacity devoted to something disposable is capacity you can’t use for something genuinely difficult to replace.

Fortunately, you’re not permanently stuck with that initial 50 mass limit.

Upgrading the Quantum Entanglement Device

You can spend Quantum Essence to expand the device’s capacity, eventually reaching a maximum of 200 mass.

Each additional 10 mass costs 15 Quantum Essence, so the total investment depends on how much storage you want.

Those numbers don’t include the initial 10 Quantum Essence required to construct the device. Building it and upgrading all the way to 200 mass therefore requires a total investment of 235 Essence.

That’s a substantial amount of farming, and whether it’s worth the effort depends on how much equipment you actually want to preserve.

Personally, I’d aim for at least 100 mass before my first Unity crossing. That’s enough room to bring a respectable selection of weapons and armor without committing to the much longer grind required to reach maximum capacity.

If you’ve already spent dozens of hours perfecting an entire loadout, though, I can certainly understand wanting every last bit of that 200 mass.

Quantum Essence: Farming and Spending

Quantum Essence used to be a relatively minor consumable that temporarily increased Starborn power regeneration. It was useful in certain situations, but it wasn’t something most players went out of their way to collect.

Free Lanes changed that considerably.

Quantum Essence is now central to several New Game Plus systems, including crafting the Quantum Entanglement Device, expanding its storage capacity, and upgrading Starborn powers.

There is, however, one extremely important restriction.

You cannot use Quantum Essence to upgrade Starborn powers during your original playthrough. You must enter the Unity and begin New Game Plus first.

Once you’ve made that first crossing, you can upgrade powers directly through the Powers Menu at a cost of 2 Quantum Essence per rank. This removes the old requirement to repeatedly visit temples across multiple universes just to improve powers you’ve already unlocked.

Before Free Lanes, players pursuing maximum-rank Starborn powers had to go through multiple New Game Plus cycles, collecting powers from temples along the way. It was a lengthy process, particularly if you were trying to upgrade every available power.

Now, after entering New Game Plus, you can improve your powers by earning and spending Quantum Essence instead. Temples still have a role in acquiring powers, but they are no longer your only route to upgrading ones you’ve already obtained.

That’s an enormous improvement for anyone who enjoys using Starborn powers but doesn’t particularly enjoy repeating the same temple routine over and over again.

Farming Quantum Essence

One of the best repeatable methods of earning Quantum Essence is fighting Starborn ships.

The Free Lanes update expanded space exploration with Cruise Mode, allowing you to travel between locations within a star system without relying exclusively on fast travel. Starborn ships can attack during your travels, and destroying them rewards Quantum Essence.

If your ship is powerful enough to handle these encounters consistently, space combat offers a useful way to accumulate Essence without constantly repeating ground missions.

You can also earn Essence by defeating Starborn enemies on the ground, including those encountered during the main story and around temples. These encounters add up naturally as you progress, although the rate at which you accumulate Essence depends on how frequently you’re encountering Starborn.

I wouldn’t worry too much about finding one perfect farming method. If you enjoy ship combat, hunt Starborn vessels. If you prefer exploring planets and fighting on foot, take advantage of ground encounters. The important thing is earning Essence through activities you actually enjoy rather than turning the entire game into another repetitive grind.

What Should You Spend Essence On?

That depends on which New Game Plus cycle you’re currently playing.

During your original playthrough, the Quantum Entanglement Device should be your main priority because Starborn power upgrades aren’t available yet.

After entering New Game Plus, you’ll have a choice between improving your powers and investing in equipment preservation for your next crossing.

If you’re planning to remain in your current universe for a long time, upgrading the powers you use most frequently probably makes the most sense. If you’re preparing to cross the Unity again, expanding your storage capacity might be more valuable.

And remember, Quantum Essence doesn’t carry over into your next universe, so there’s little reason to hoard a massive stockpile when you’re ready to leave.

How to Plan Your New Game Plus Cycles

The old approach to New Game Plus was generally one of two extremes. Either rush through the main quest repeatedly to improve your Starborn Guardian and powers, or avoid the Unity entirely because losing everything you’ve built wasn’t worth the reward.

Free Lanes offers a much more appealing middle ground, but the best strategy changes depending on whether you’re preparing for your first crossing or your fifth.

Before Your First Unity Crossing

Finish the main story up to the point where you’re ready to enter the Unity, but don’t step through immediately.

First, obtain the Quantum Entanglement Device schematic and construct the device. You’ll need 10 Quantum Essence and the three manufactured components, so make sure you’ve collected everything before reaching the point of no return.

Next, decide how much storage capacity you actually need. I’d recommend aiming for at least 100 mass if you’ve accumulated a decent collection of legendary equipment, although the default 50 mass may be sufficient if you only want to preserve a few favorite items.

Once you’ve settled on a capacity, fill the device with the weapons, armor, and resources you most want to keep.

Don’t worry about upgrading your Starborn powers yet. You can’t do that until you’ve entered New Game Plus, so your priority during this first cycle is preserving equipment rather than improving powers.

Finally, spend any remaining Essence that would be useful for device upgrades before you leave. Don’t make the mistake of assuming a large stockpile of unused Essence will automatically follow you through the Unity.

Once everything is prepared, you’re ready to cross.

Your First New Game Plus Universe

After entering the Unity, you’ll begin your new universe with your character level, skills, and previously acquired Starborn powers intact. You’ll also receive your Starborn Guardian and Starborn spacesuit, giving you a solid starting point even without the equipment you’ve preserved.

Your stored items can be recovered through the Quantum Entanglement Device system at The Lodge, allowing you to reclaim the equipment you selected before leaving your previous universe.

This is also where the new power progression system becomes important.

Now that you’ve entered New Game Plus, you can begin spending Quantum Essence to upgrade your Starborn powers directly. At 2 Essence per upgrade, even a relatively modest amount of farming can improve several powers without requiring another trip through the Unity.

I’d focus on whichever powers you actually use rather than spreading Essence evenly across everything. There’s little reason to spend resources upgrading a power that has been sitting unused in your menu for the last fifty hours.

You also have a decision to make about the story itself. You can replay the main quest and experience events again, or take advantage of the Starborn dialogue options and shortened progression available in New Game Plus.

If you’re interested in exploring alternate universes and seeing how things change, replaying the story can be worthwhile. If you’re primarily interested in improving your Guardian or reaching another cycle, the shortened route will save considerable time.

Planning Subsequent Cycles

Every additional Unity crossing gives you another opportunity to improve your Starborn Guardian, up to its sixth version, and experience a different universe.

But there’s no requirement to rush through them.

One of the biggest advantages of the Free Lanes systems is that you can continue upgrading your Starborn powers without immediately abandoning your current universe. If you’ve built an outpost network, collected an impressive fleet, or established relationships with companions, you can stay right where you are and continue improving your character.

When you eventually decide to move on, repeat the preparation process. Collect the equipment you want to preserve, make sure it’s stored in the Quantum Entanglement Device, spend Essence where appropriate, and enter the Unity when you’re ready.

Your character continues growing, your powers become more useful, and your accumulated experience with the game makes subsequent playthroughs easier.

And if you decide that your third universe is the one you want to settle down in permanently, that’s perfectly fine too. There’s no rule saying you have to reach New Game Plus 10 just because the option exists.

For PS5 Players Who Haven’t Finished the Main Story Yet

If you’re still in your first playthrough and haven’t reached the Unity, none of this needs to become an immediate concern.

Enjoy the game. Do the side quests. Join factions. Build outposts. Explore the Settled Systems. Spend a ridiculous amount of time designing a spaceship that probably costs more than everything else you own combined.

The Quantum Entanglement Device and New Game Plus progression systems will be waiting when you’re ready.

The one thing I’d recommend is collecting Quantum Essence whenever you have the opportunity. Defeat Starborn enemies when you encounter them, and take advantage of Starborn ship battles if your vessel is equipped to handle them.

Just understand that collecting Essence during your original playthrough serves a different purpose than collecting it after you’ve entered New Game Plus.

Before your first Unity crossing, Quantum Essence is primarily useful for constructing and expanding the Quantum Entanglement Device. You cannot spend it upgrading Starborn powers until you’ve crossed the Unity at least once.

That makes equipment preservation the priority for your first cycle.

And because unspent Essence won’t survive the transition, you’ll want to make those preparations before entering the Unity rather than assuming you can handle everything afterward.

When you eventually reach that decision point, take a little time to organize your equipment and decide what matters most to you. You don’t have to preserve every legendary weapon or rare resource you’ve collected, but having the option to bring your favorites along makes leaving your first universe considerably less painful.

The Takeaway

New Game Plus in Starfield started as a philosophical exercise that asked players to sacrifice nearly everything they’d accumulated in exchange for a fresh universe and the opportunity to grow stronger. It was an interesting idea, but one that came with a cost many players simply weren’t willing to pay.

The Free Lanes update doesn’t eliminate that sacrifice, and I don’t think it should. The entire point of the Unity is that you’re leaving one existence behind to experience another. But the Quantum Entanglement Device gives players a little more control over what that sacrifice actually means.

You can preserve your favorite equipment, expand your storage capacity through Quantum Essence, and, once you’ve entered New Game Plus, upgrade your Starborn powers without repeating the same temple grind across universe after universe.

Build the device before your first crossing. Upgrade its capacity to whatever level makes sense for your equipment. Spend your Essence wisely, and don’t assume unused resources will follow you into the next universe. Once you’ve become Starborn, focus on upgrading the powers you actually use and decide for yourself how many additional cycles are worth completing.

You don’t have to rush through ten universes, and you don’t have to abandon everything you’ve worked for just to experience New Game Plus.

Todd Howard wanted the Unity to be a meaningful question about what you’re willing to leave behind. The Free Lanes update lets you answer that question with a little more freedom, and without necessarily giving up everything you’ve spent dozens of hours earning.

Agree, disagree, or think I got it completely wrong? Say so in the comments or over at our Vortex Effect forums.