Now that Returnal is finally here, PlayStation 5 owners are itching to start exploring the alien world of Atropos. One of the most important substances in the game is the mysterious Ether.

As players take control of Selene, they'll begin uncovering the mysteries of the civilizations left on the alien planet as well as why Selene is stuck in a never-ending loop.

Among other essential items, Ether is extremely valuable for longterm survival on Atropos. Here's what you need to know about Ether in Returnal.

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What is Ether?

Ether is one of the essential currency items in Returnal. In fiction, the substance seems to be native to Atropos and was used by its natives as some form of currency. It is the only currency that does not reset upon death in the game.

returnal ether

How to Find Ether

Finding Ether is relatively simple, however, there are no surefire ways to farm it as its drops are random. Finding Ether is mainly luck-based, much like finding the rest of the items in Returnal. To find it, explore the different rooms and areas thoroughly keeping in mind the verticality that many of the areas have. There should be upside-down triangles on your minimap noting items that haven't been picked up yet. Ether has a purple-blue color so it's pretty easy to identify when looking from afar.

How to Spend Ether

There are three main things to spend Ether on. The first is the Cthonos, a gacha-like machine that appears next to Selene's crashed ship after a few runs. It produces a random non-permanent buff that can be used for one run. The price of the items starts at just three Ether, but as you buy more and more, it raises.

Ether can also be exchanged for Returnal's other currency, Obolite. Obolite is used for crafting consumables and non-permanent upgrades. You can exchange the two currencies back and forth at the handful of Fabricator stations found throughout Atropos.

returnal ether

The final, and perhaps most important, use for Ether is the Reconstructor. The Reconstructor is an alien machine that, when paid six Ether, allows Selene to respawn without losing her current non-permanent loadout. It's not a bad idea to save your Ether to use on the Reconstructor before one of the game's punishing boss fights.

For more on Returnal, make sure to check out our review right here.