Where to get Ancient Keys in No Man's Sky

There are a fair number of items in No Man's Sky that serve very few functions. Some exist simply to add flavor to the world. Ancient Keys are excellent examples in No Man's Sky as items that serve a single purpose.

Nothing about the civilization that used the Ancient Keys can be gleaned from reading the in-game text. Fortunately, players don't need to know anything about Ancient Keys other than that they are keys.

And when there's an Ancient Key, there's an Ancient Lock that accepts it. Should users wish to collect the content behind an Ancient Lock, here's where to get Ancient Keys in No Man's Sky.

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No Man's Sky: Obtaining Ancient Keys

To obtain Ancient Keys in No Man's Sky, gamers need to locate Ancient Ruins. These are scattered all across the game, and there's a good chance users have come across one already. Whether housed within ruins themselves or underground, they can find Artifact Fragments.

Artifact Fragments are just simple containers already unlocked and waiting to be opened. Inside are Ancient Keys.

In the same location, players will also find Large Artifact Crates. Unlike its smaller cousin, Large Artifact Crates are locked with an Ancient Lock. To unlock Ancient Locks, they need to obtain three Ancient Keys and use all three on the lock.

Finding Ancient Ruins is a different matter. Thankfully, No Man's Sky offers several tools that make it easier to find them:

• Signal Booster: An environmental scanner that can mark the location of Ancient Ruins.
• Observatory: If found, players can use the shelter’s satellite dish to pinpoint Ruins.
• Exocraft Signal Booster Upgrade Tau: An upgrade for the Exocraft Signal Booster.
• Frigate: An onboard Exploration Specialist can scan the system for Ancient Ruins.

The quickest way is using a Signal Booster, especially for beginners. They’re easy to build, and every base should have one, anyway. Once constructed, and when an Ancient Ruin is located:

• Step 1: Dig around the ruins for Artifact Fragments using a Terrain Manipulator.
• Step 2: Collect three or more Ancient Keys.
• Step 3: Keep digging until a Large Artifact Crate is unearthed, then use three keys to unlock it.

Gamers should remember that unearthing and messing with Ancient Ruins can incite violence from Sentinels, even dangerous ones like Sentinel Walkers. They are protecting the Relics housed inside Large Artifact Crates, which can be sold, fulfill Artifact Research projects, given to NPCs, or exchanged at the Colossal Archive.