• Guide

How to pick up, move & place items - Starfield

Did you know that you can pick up, move, and place items without adding them to your inventory?

Bill Lavoy

September 1, 2023 2:13 PM

3

Starfield is a game with a lot of hidden options that aren’t explained in the controls and key bindings. One of those options is to pick items up and move them around, placing them wherever you want. This can come in handy when loot is stashed inside a container, or if you want to do some decorating at your Outposts.

How to pick up, move & place items

To pick up, move, and place items without adding them to your inventory, hold the E button on mouse and keyboard or the A button on an Xbox controller. When you no longer wish to hold the item, let go of the button and it will drop. This can be very handy when you’re looting, and you find a box or crate with items in it that you can’t get a good angle on. Just pick it up and drop it on the floor.

You can also use this system to manipulate items for placement. Once you pick an item up and you’re holding it, you can rotate it by using the left or right mouse button, or if you’re using an Xbox controller the right trigger and left trigger. This is particularly useful if you pick items up on your travels that you want to use to decorate your Outposts. For example, I picked up a soccer ball while looting a space station, then brought it back to my Outpost and set it on the desk in one of my structures. You can do this with almost any item you find in Starfield, allowing you to fully immerse yourself and build your dream home among the stars.

Thanks to at0micgarden in the comments for pointing out that if you press reload (X on Xbox - R on PC) while holding an item, you will throw it.

For more help with your journey through space, be sure to visit our Starfield Strategy Guide. We’ve got more tips like this, and full quest walkthroughs to help you on the path.

Bill Lavoy

Managing Editor

Bill, who is also known as Rumpo, is a lifelong gamer and Toronto Maple Leafs fan. He made his mark early in his career through guide writing and a deep understanding of editorial SEO. He enjoys putting in the work to create a great content, be it a wild feature or grinding out an in-depth collectible guide. Tweet him @RumpoPlays if you have a question or comment about one of his articles.