How to Access Shielded Cargo in Starfield

Navigating the vast universe of Starfield, you’ll often find yourself in possession of items that aren’t exactly legal. Whether you’re intentionally smuggling or just happened upon some contraband, knowing how to hide these items from prying eyes is essential. That’s where shielded cargo comes into play.

Here’s our guide explaining how to access and use shielded cargo in Starfield.

Starfield – How to Use Shielded Cargo

To access and use shielded cargo in Starfield, I hate to say it, but you can’t. You can’t directly access your shielded cargo on your starship. Shielded cargo and contraband is just one of those things that just works. I’ll explain: if you have shielded cargo and you have contraband, it will automatically go into that section of the ship but not tell you. But here’s the crux: mass plays an essential role in how it works.

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Imagine you have a total cargo capacity of 800, with 50 of that being shielded. As long as the contraband you’re trying to hide is under 50 mass or less, it’s automatically assumed to be in the shielded cargo compartment once you place it in your ship storage. However, if you exceed this shielded limit, if you have any contraband with a mass of 50/51+ or multiple pieces that add up to over 50, some or all of your contraband will end up in regular storage, making it vulnerable to detection.

Test it out for yourself. Put a single piece of contraband in your ship’s cargo storage, go to Akila or Jemison, and see what the pass rate is for hiding the item when they scan you. If it’s anywhere about 0%, it means the contraband is in your shielded cargo.

Make Sure No Contraband is anywhere Else in Starfield

It’s essential to be extremely careful about where you store your contraband in Starfield. Any contraband left in your personal inventory, floating around or elsewhere in the ship outside the shielded cargo bay, will always be detected, giving you a 0% chance of hiding it. And remember, just because you’re using shielded cargo doesn’t guarantee a 100% success rate in evading detection. The more contraband you have, the lower your chances of passing security checks. For instance, if you’re smuggling an item like Aurora, always double-check its classification. It might be listed under ‘Aid’ rather than ‘Misc,’ as not all contraband falls under the same category.

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Captain’s Locker is Not Shielded Cargo in Starfield

For those piloting ships like the Mantis/Razorleaf, the captain’s locker is not your shielded cargo, contrary to some beliefs. It’s merely an extra storage space with a limit of 40 mass. Storing contraband here won’t keep it hidden in orbital inspections in Starfield.

Cargo Ratio in Starfield

Another crucial point to consider is the ratio of your total cargo mass to shielded cargo. Even if you have a large shielded cargo capacity, like 1000, it’s not wise to fill it up entirely with contraband. For a better success rate, aim to use only half or even less of your shielded cargo capacity. In essence, the more unused shielded space you have relative to your total cargo, the better your chances of successfully hiding contraband. For example, with a total cargo mass of 2000 and a shielded mass of 100, you’ll likely have a higher success rate than with a total cargo mass of 500 and the same shielded mass.