How does the Scanner work in Atomic Heart?

The Scanner is one of the core exploration mechanics in Atomic Heart that you will be required to master early in the game.

However, the system is not as intuitive as one would like, and many players are having a tough time wrapping their heads around how it works. This is one of the reasons they are stuck in the tutorial phase of the game, where they are required to use it properly to progress.

While you might feel that the introductory scanner mission is bugged, that is not the case. You will have to use it efficiently to successfully complete the mission.

Hence, today’s guide goes over how the Scanner works in Atomic Heart and how you will be able to make the most of it as the game's narrative progresses.

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How to use the Atomic Heart's Scanner on different platforms

As mentioned earlier, the Scanner is one of the core exploration features in Atomic Heart. It is something you will rely on quite a bit as you make your way through the game while completing the various story and side missions. The mechanic will allow you to scout out areas and get your hands on loot contained within chests or drawers.

To use the scanner in the title, you must press the R1 button two consecutive times if you are on the PlayStation. You should then hold down the button on the second press. Xbox users will need to do the same, but their button allocation will be RB. For PC players, it will be the key mapping that they have assigned to it.

After activating the scanner, it will scan the area around you, revealing certain points of interest in different color codes.

Here's what the color codes mean:

Blue

• Blue represents all the loot around you, as it highlights chests, drawers, containers, and other resources that you can pick up as you explore the map.

Purple

• Purple is given to the items or objectives that are directly related to the story. These are some of the things that you will need to interact with in order to progress the story further and unlock the next section of the game. They also act as markers as to what you should be doing next in the game.

White

• White highlights the objects that you can interact with in Atomic Heart. These include save stations, elevator call buttons, and other interactable objects in the environment.

Orange

• Orange highlights all the enemies around you. This core feature of the scanner is essential when stealthing around the map or when looking to engage an enemy once you encounter them. Additionally, upon scanning them, you will also be able to see all their resistances as well as weaknesses, along with the loot that they will drop once you have been able to successfully defeat them.

Making the most of the scanner will allow you to have a much easier time in Atomic Heart, especially in the latter portions of the game, where every enemy becomes bullet sponges.