Portable Oxygenator

Portable Oxygenator is a backpack-mounted item that functions like a standard Oxygenator, but can be manually switched on and off. When installed in one of the backpack’s widget slots, it can turn the player’s backpack into a portable source of power-fed oxygen, and in multiplayer it can supply nearby Astroneers as long as it remains active.

To use it, place the Portable Oxygenator in a widget slot on the Backpack and activate it with the context key for that slot. It draws power continuously at 10U/s and converts that power into oxygen for a single small oxygen tank’s worth of output per 10 Units consumed. Because it keeps draining power even if the backpack’s oxygen tank is already full, it should be turned off as soon as the tank is topped up to avoid wasting energy.

A Portable Oxygenator is most useful when traveling away from tethers. To keep it running, the player needs a power source on the backpack, such as small solar panels, small wind turbines, or small generators. A small generator is often the most practical option because organic is available on every planet’s layers. If the Portable Oxygenator is left on with no oxygen left to fill, it still consumes power, so careful switching is important for efficiency.

When active, the Portable Oxygenator should not be used while connected to tethers until it is turned off. It can also be placed on a platform and used like a standard Oxygenator to supply oxygen to a base and its tether network, but it still requires power to operate. In multiplayer, any oxygen it provides to nearby Astroneers is effectively free once the item is running, though the backpack will still try to share power from any external storage devices attached to it.

A few practical notes make it easier to use:

• The backpack oxygen tank has the same capacity as a small oxygen tank, so a full charge of 10 Units fills the player’s oxygen bar completely.
• Since it consumes power indefinitely, it is best to disable the Portable Oxygenator whenever the oxygen tank is full.
• It can be paired with compact power sources for roaming exploration, but it is not a passive item; it must be managed actively to avoid draining the backpack dry.
• Used on a platform, it effectively extends base oxygen coverage without changing its need for electrical power.