You've finally made it to Nuka-World. The neon is flickering, the Raiders are being their usual obnoxious selves, and you just saw it: the Quantum X-01 Power Armor sitting behind a reinforced glass display case in the Starport Nuka. It’s glowing. It’s beautiful. And it’s locked behind a computer that demands 35 individual circuit boards. Honestly, finding every FO4 star core location is easily one of the most tedious scavenger hunts in Fallout 4, but that suit of armor is arguably the best physical prize in the entire DLC.
Most players stumble into the Galactic Zone and realize pretty quickly that the place is a deathtrap. Sentry bots, protectrons, and those incredibly annoying Novatrons are everywhere. You need these cores not just for the armor, but to actually repair the Star Control mainframe and stop the local robots from murdering you on sight. If you’re like me, you probably found twenty of them by accident and then spent three hours wandering around the same theater trying to find the last one. It’s frustrating. But if you know where to look, you can get the "Star Control" quest finished way faster than the game implies.
The Star Control Mainframe Basics
Before you start sprinting through the park, you need to understand how the count works. There are 35 cores total. You only need 20 to get the basic security protocols under control, which makes the zone safe to walk through. However, if you want that Quantum X-01, you need all 35. No exceptions.
One thing people often get wrong is thinking they can find all 35 inside the Galactic Zone buildings. You can’t. Five of them are scattered across the rest of the Nuka-World map. Also, there's a sneaky one that respawns, which some players use as a "glitch" to avoid searching the harder areas, though Bethesda has patched various iterations of that over the years.
Finding FO4 Star Core Locations in the Galactic Zone (Exterior)
Start outside. It’s easier to see things when you aren't trapped in a dark loading screen.
There's one right by the Star Control mainframe itself. You’ll find a dead trader nearby—poor soul—and the core is right there for the taking. Walk around the Starport Nuka base and look for a locked shed near the back. There's another one inside. Then, head up toward the Arcjet G-Force ride. You don't even have to go in the building yet; check the top of the long stairs near the control console.
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Another one is tucked away near the Nuka-Galaxy ramp. If you head toward the back where the employee areas are, you’ll find a small security kiosk. Most people walk right past it because they’re distracted by the giant rocket ships. There’s also one located on a console near the entrance to the RobCo Battlezone.
Don't forget the one on the very top of Starport Nuka. You can't get this one until you've turned the park's power back on at the end of the main DLC storyline. It’s a bit of a tease, really. You see it, you want it, but you have to finish the "Power Play" or "Open Season" quest first to ride the elevator up.
The Indoor Hunt: Exploring the Attractions
This is where things get messy. Each major "attraction" in the Galactic Zone holds a specific number of cores.
The RobCo Battlezone
This place is a nightmare if you’re underleveled. You have to fight waves of robots in an arena setting. Once you’ve turned them into scrap metal, you can find two cores in the control room overlooking the arena. There’s another one in the basement storage area, tucked away on a shelf, and two more in the "understage" area where the robots spawn from. That’s six total for this building.
Starlight Interstellar Theater
I actually like the vibe here, even if the Sentry Bot is trying to put a hole in my chest. You’ll find four cores here. One is in the kitchen/concession area behind the counter. Another is in the projection booth—naturally. The other two are in the crack in the wall near the restrooms and in the executive office.
Vault-Tec: Among the Stars
Basically a giant advertisement for Vault-Tec, but it’s loaded with loot. There are six cores here. You’ll find a few in the "living quarters" exhibit and several in the observation rooms where the scientists would have monitored the "dwellers." Keep an eye out for a locked door that requires a keycard or a high lockpicking skill; there are three cores clustered in the main control center at the end of the walkthrough.
Nuka-Galaxy
This is the big one. It’s a long, linear ride with lots of side rooms. You’ll find seven cores here.
- Check the entrance kiosk.
- Look in the room where the ride cars originate.
- There are several along the "tracks" in the maintenance bays.
- One is at the very end of the ride, near the exit.
Basically, if you see a computer terminal, check the slots next to it.
The Cores Outside the Galactic Zone
If you’ve scrubbed the Galactic Zone clean and you’re still short, it’s because you need to leave the area. These are the ones that drive completionists crazy because the game doesn't give you a map marker for them.
First, head to the Nuka-Town Market. There’s a core sitting on a table in the corner of the market area, usually near the merchants.
Next, go to the Nuka-Cola Bottling Plant. You’ll have to fight through a bunch of Nukalurks. Look for the "World of Refreshment" ride area. There’s a core near a dead technician under some pipes in the back mechanical rooms.
Then there’s the Dry Rock Gulch. You’re looking for a small trash heap near the Doc Church area. It’s sitting right there in the open, but the dusty environment makes it blend into the ground.
Safari Adventure has one too. It’s located in the "Jungle Journey" theater area, specifically in the little control shack where the technicians sat.
Finally, check the Nuka-World Power Plant. This is in the far west of the map. You’ll find a core on a large console in the main office area. This is separate from the one you get at the very top of the Starport.
Common Mistakes and Missing Cores
Honestly, the biggest mistake is just getting turned around in the Vault-Tec attraction. It’s a maze. If you’re at 34 cores and losing your mind, it’s almost always either the one at the very top of Starport Nuka (which requires power) or the one in the Nuka-Town Market.
A lot of players also forget that the Star Control terminal actually tells you which areas still have cores. If you check the "Repair Status" on the terminal, it will list:
- Galactic Zone Exterior: [Number]
- Nuka-Galaxy: [Number]
- RobCo Battlezone: [Number]
...and so on.
This doesn't give you a pinpoint location, but it tells you which building to stop searching. If the terminal says "Galactic Zone 0," stop looking in the bushes and go inside Nuka-Galaxy.
Actionable Strategy for Your Run
To make this efficient, don't do it all at once.
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- Level 30+ recommended: The robots in the Battlezone don't scale down, and they hit like freight trains.
- Bring a Companion: Not for the firepower, but for the carrying capacity. All those robot parts you’re going to loot weigh a ton.
- Clear the park first: It is much easier to find these once you’ve cleared the "Big Hunt" part of the questline and the robots are deactivated.
- The "Junkyard" Trick: There is a star core in the Junkyard (west of the Hubologist's camp) that is known to respawn after a certain amount of in-game time. If you absolutely cannot find the 35th core and you're frustrated, go do some quests in the Commonwealth for a week of in-game time, then come back. It might just save you another hour of searching a dark vault.
Once you have all 35, head back to Starport Nuka, plug them into the mainframe, and watch that glass case slide open. The Quantum X-01 isn't just a trophy; it has a unique legendary effect that increases your Action Point refresh speed. It makes you a walking tank that never runs out of steam. Well worth the headache.
Next Steps for Your Fallout 4 Playthrough
- Verify your current count: Access the Star Control terminal in the Galactic Zone to see exactly which zones are missing cores.
- Prioritize the Market and Bottling Plant: These are the easiest "outside" cores to grab if you need a quick boost to reach the 20-core safety threshold.
- Save the Power Plant for last: Since you have to go there for the DLC finale anyway, don't make a special trip early on unless you're desperate for that 35th core.