SpaceCraft Patches: Effects, Sources and Which Are Worth It
- ๐ฏ What SpaceCraft Patches Are and What They're Called
- ๐ SpaceCraft Patches: Families and Effects
- ๐ง Applying and Removing SpaceCraft Patches
- ๐บ๏ธ Where SpaceCraft Patches Come From
- ๐ Buy or Craft? The Math with 8% Purchase Tax
- ๐ก Which SpaceCraft Patches Are Worth It
- โ ๏ธ What Isn't Documented about SpaceCraft Patches
- โ Frequently Asked Questions about SpaceCraft Patches
SpaceCraft patches are upgrade items you attach to a single ship module: each one shifts exactly one stat of that module instead of unlocking a new one. A patch is neither a blueprint nor a module variant but an item of its own with one modifier. This guide lists the patch families with their effects and base values, where they come from and which ones are worth it.
The numbers come from the spacecraft.tools game database (v0.5.25674 from October 13, 2026). The rules for applying and removing patches come from the official Shiro Games patch notes for Major Update #1 in October 2026.
๐ฏ What SpaceCraft Patches Are and What They're Called
In the client, the item category is simply Patch. The family that fits many different modules is named Module Patch, for example "Module Patch: Heat Absorber I". Next to it sit module-specific families: Laser Patch, FTL Patch, Radar Patch, Battery Patch, Generator Patch, Shield Patch and Weapon Patch.
The item text says the enhancement can be attached to a spaceship module, and that patches can be removed at the Shipyard with a 20% chance to survive. SpaceCraft patches are upgrade items, not blueprint add-ons. They don't unlock anything; they improve a part you have already installed. Each patch takes one storage unit (1 su).
๐ SpaceCraft Patches: Families and Effects
The databases list more than 60 patches across these families, most with three tiers (I to III). The table shows each family with its tier I effect and its base value in credits:
| Family | Fits | Tier I effect | Base value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Module Patch: System | many modules | System Requirements โ5% | 25 cr |
| Module Patch: Fuel Efficiency | fuel generators | Fuel Consumption โ5% | 24.8 cr |
| Module Patch: Power Efficiency | many modules | Power Consumption โ10% | 26.1 cr |
| Module Patch: Heat Absorber | heat-producing modules | Heat Generation โ15% | 24.1 cr |
| Laser Patch: Increased Output | mining laser | Increased Output +25% | 28.2 cr |
| Laser Patch: Mining Power | mining laser | Mining Power +20% | 27.3 cr |
| Laser Patch: Rare Find | mining laser | Rare Find Probability +1.5% | 23 cr |
| Laser Patch: Mining Tier | mining laser | Mining Tier +1 | 334 cr |
| Laser Patch: Last Yield | mining laser | Last Yield +20% | 336 cr |
| Radar Patch: Range | radar | Max Range +25% | 22.9 cr |
| Battery Patch: Overload | battery | Power Storage +25% | 25.3 cr |
| Generator Patch: Power | generator | Power Generation +5% | 25 cr |
| FTL Patch: Charted Skies | FTL engine | Mag-Plasma cost โ10 on known paths | 29.4 cr |
| FTL Patch: Mag-Plasma | FTL engine | Mag-Plasma consumption โ5 | 31.7 cr |
| FTL Patch: Light Dodging | FTL engine | FTL Damage Reduction +15 | 26.6 cr |
| FTL Patch: Edge Explorer | FTL engine | Sector Exploration Level +1 | 349 cr |
| Shield Patch: Tough | shield | Shield Max Charge +10% | 31.9 cr |
| Shield Patch: Fast | shield | Regen Speed +15%, Regen Power Consumption +15% | 10 cr |
| Shield Patch: Heavy | shield | Damage Negation +4, Power Usage +10 MA | 10 cr |
| Weapon Patch: Precision | weapons | Accuracy +10 | 10 cr |
Two things stand out. First, the tiers scale cleanly: the System patch cuts System Requirements by 5% on tier I and by 10% on tier II, Increased Output goes from +25% to +50%, +100% and +200% on tier IV, and Last Yield II gives +40%.
Second, every entry with a value of exactly 10 credits (the Weapon Patches plus Shield Fast and Shield Heavy) has no recipe in the data, so they only come from loot and trading.
Laser patches on several lasers stack with diminishing returns. Shiro Games introduced this with Community Update #1 on September 16, 2026 for Increased Output, Rare Find and Last Yield; according to the announcement, each additional patch is about 30% less effective than the previous one. Last Yield now has a chance to trigger instead of always working, and patch v0.4.24600 lowered that chance for Last Yield I from 30% to 20%.
๐ง Applying and Removing SpaceCraft Patches
How many patches a module takes depends on its patch slots, usually 1 to 3 according to spacecraft.tools: the Simple Mining Laser has 1, the Hi-Pi Laser 2, the Giant Laser 3 and the Overclocked Giant Laser even 5. Applying a patch doesn't cost extra resources. How modules, hull and System Support fit together is covered in our SpaceCraft modules guide.
Removal changed in October 2026. Before, a patch couldn't be taken off at all; you had to rebuild the whole module. Since Major Update #1, patches can be installed without removing the module and freely removed, with an 80% chance of breaking, so a 20% chance to recover it. In other words, four out of five patches break. Patch management also works in your base's Shipyard now.
The same update gave every module a level. You can only apply patches of the same level or lower: Increased Output I needs module level 1, Increased Output IV module level 4. According to the patch notes, Increased Output IV only fits the Giant Lasers unlocked by the Heavy Beam permit (60,000 credits).
The practical rule for SpaceCraft patches: put expensive ones only on modules you plan to keep. A tier III patch on a laser you'll swap soon is a gamble worth thousands of credits.
๐บ๏ธ Where SpaceCraft Patches Come From
1. Craft them in the Workshop. Most families have a recipe. Tier I recipes are cheap: Battery Patch: Overload I takes 6 Nut and Bolt and 2 Magnetic Coil, Laser Patch: Increased Output I just 1 Crystalline Focuser and 1 Metal Sheet. Even Laser Patch: Mining Tier I has a recipe (1 Emerald, 1 Hyper Lens).
2. Find the blueprint first. Before the recipe comes the blueprint, and blueprints for SpaceCraft patches come from random loot. spacecraft.tools lists a loot level for each one (level 5 for most tier I patches, 7 for tier II, 9 for tier III). Since Major Update #1, every Restricted Area guarantees a blueprint on first completion, and secret chests always hold a blueprint or a patch.
3. Buy them. Patches have a base value and can be traded. Since Major Update #1 there are also traveling merchants, and according to the developer preview some of them deal in patches. The non-craftable ones (Weapon Patches, Shield Fast, Shield Heavy) only come from loot and trading.
๐ Buy or Craft? The Math with 8% Purchase Tax
Since patch v0.3.22866 on July 21, 2026, the purchase tax on the Trade Nexus is 8% instead of 20%, so buying makes sense more often, SpaceCraft patches included. The Increased Output chain is fully documented with recipe and value for tiers I to III:
| Tier | Effect | Recipe | Base value |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | Increased Output +25% | 1 Crystalline Focuser, 1 Metal Sheet | 28.2 cr |
| II | Increased Output +50% | 4ร tier I, 5 Aquamarine, 8 Strong Metal Sheet | 266 cr |
| III | Increased Output +100% | 10ร tier II, 2 Hyper Lens, 5 Thermal Sheet | 3,420 cr |
Work the chain from the bottom: one tier III patch needs 10 tier II patches, and those need 40 tier I patches. On top of that you have to source 50 Aquamarine, 80 Strong Metal Sheet, 2 Hyper Lens and 5 Thermal Sheet. Against that, the buy options, each including 8% tax on the database value:
| Route to the tier III patch | Cost with 8% tax | Your own crafting |
|---|---|---|
| Buy the finished tier III patch | 3,693.60 cr | none |
| Buy 10ร tier II plus Hyper Lens and Thermal Sheet, craft the last step | 3,292.92 cr | one recipe |
The difference is 400.68 credits, about 11%, for a single craft. The conclusion is plain but useful: crafting the final tier yourself pays off, building the whole chain from the bottom almost never does. Buy the intermediate tiers and use your Workshop for the last step. Keep in mind that these are database base values; actual listings swing around them.
๐ก Which SpaceCraft Patches Are Worth It
The sources don't support a hard ranking, because drop rates and in-game effects aren't officially documented. What the data does give you is a choice by game phase:
- Early, mining focus: Laser Patch: Mining Power I and Increased Output I cost under 30 credits and give +20% or +25% on your core activity. Best effort-to-reward ratio in the catalogue.
- Early, scouting focus: Radar Patch: Range I with +25% range is the cheapest patch of all and saves time on every scanning flight.
- Mid game, power focus: Battery Patch: Overload I (+25% storage) beats Generator Patch: Power I (+5% production) by a wide margin if your problem is peak load. If you're short on power all the time, you need the generator patch or more panels.
- Mid game, travel focus: FTL Patch: Charted Skies I saves Mag-Plasma on known paths, while FTL Patch: Mag-Plasma I cuts consumption by 5 on every jump. Charted Skies pays off if you mostly fly the same routes.
- Late game: Laser Patch: Mining Tier I raises your mining tier by 1 and is the only patch that opens up material you couldn't mine otherwise. It needs a loot level 8 blueprint plus an Emerald and a Hyper Lens.
Rule of thumb: patch the module you use the longest per session. A percentage bonus on your mining laser works on every chunk of ore; a shield patch only matters when things go wrong. For scanning and detectors, see our guide on SpaceCraft scanning.
โ ๏ธ What Isn't Documented about SpaceCraft Patches
Drop chances for patch blueprints and specific sources for the non-craftable patches aren't documented officially. There is no rarity system in the classic sense: tiers I to III (and IV for Increased Output) do the job colors would do in other games.
โ Frequently Asked Questions about SpaceCraft Patches
What is a patch in SpaceCraft?
An item you attach to a single ship module that changes exactly one stat of that module, such as output, range or consumption. It doesn't unlock anything and doesn't replace a module.
Can I remove SpaceCraft patches again?
Since Major Update #1 in October 2026, yes, also at your base's Shipyard, but the patch breaks 80% of the time. Before that, you had to rebuild the whole module. Treat patches as a near-final decision.
Is it cheaper to buy SpaceCraft patches than to craft them?
For the intermediate tiers, yes. A finished tier III Increased Output patch costs 3,693.60 credits including 8% purchase tax; buy ten tier II patches plus the other ingredients, craft only the last step, and you pay 3,292.92 credits.
Which patch should I get first?
For most players one of the laser patches for the mining laser, because it works on every mining action and tier I is under 30 credits. Radar Patch: Range I is the cheapest alternative if you scout more than you mine.
Are there patches for weapons and shields?
Yes. Weapon Patch: Precision, Sure Shot and Wild Shot plus Shield Fast and Shield Heavy have no recipe in the data, so they come from loot and trading. Shield Patch: Tough, on the other hand, can be crafted.
All SpaceCraft guides in English are on our SpaceCraft overview.
Checked against the spacecraft.tools game database (v0.5.25674: item, recipe, slot and blueprint data), the official Shiro Games patch notes v0.3.22866 of July 21, 2026 (purchase tax), Community Update #1, v0.4.24600 and Major Update #1 (patch removal, module levels) as of October 2026. Prices and effect values come from the databases, not from patch notes. SpaceCraft is in Early Access, so balance values can change with any patch.
