Subnautica Magnetite — Where to Find It and What It's Used For

Magnetite in Subnautica is found in loose chunks on the seabed and in Large Resource Deposits, with the richest early sources being the Jellyshroom Cave (directly under the Safe Shallows, around 250–300 m) and the Mountains biome. It's an iron-oxide raw material used in sonar, torpedo and scanner technology — the Stasis Rifle, Seamoth Sonar, Scanner Room HUD Chip and Thermal Plant all need it. This guide covers every confirmed spawn location, the exact recipes that consume it, and the safest farming routes at each stage of the game.

Here's what you'll learn:

• Every Magnetite location, ordered by how early you can reach it
• The exact recipes that need Magnetite (and how much each needs)
• A safe early-game farming route without a Prawn Suit
• The Large Deposit locations if you're drilling with the Prawn
• How Magnetite farming fits into the mid-game resource loop

Official resources: Steam store page · Official Subnautica Wiki — Magnetite · Official Subnautica Wiki — Jellyshroom Cave · IGN Subnautica page

What Is Magnetite in Subnautica?

Magnetite (Fe₃O₄) is a raw material with magnetic properties, found in item form on the seabed and as drillable Large Magnetite Deposits that yield 7–14 Magnetite each. Its databank entry flags it as "essential for advanced fabrication" — and that's accurate: it's the gate material for a whole tier of scanning and defensive tech.

Per the official Subnautica Wiki — Magnetite: "Magnetite is an iron oxide valued for its magnetic potential amongst other qualities. It is used in many federation technologies, including sonar and torpedo systems." It was briefly renamed "Iron Ore" during development.

Where to Find Magnetite

The official wiki lists Magnetite in these biomes. We've ordered them by how practical they are as a farming spot:

What Is Magnetite Used For?

Every confirmed recipe (verified against the official wiki's crafting tables):

That list explains the demand curve: you need small amounts early (Stasis Rifle, HUD Chip), then the sonar modules and Thermal Plant eat your stockpile mid-game. Because so many upgrades chain off the Scanner Room, most players farm Magnetite the moment they build their first Scanner Room — and the Scanner Room can scan for Magnetite directly, which makes finding it in a new biome trivial. Building the Scanner Room itself is covered in our Multipurpose Room and base modules guide.

Best Farming Routes by Game Stage

Early (first Seamoth, no depth module): Jellyshroom Cave. The loose Magnetite lies on the cave floor between the mushroom clusters, and the large deposits are drillable as soon as you have a Prawn — but even by hand you'll grab plenty of item-form chunks. One dive, one beacon, done.

Mid (Seamoth Depth Module MK1–MK2, first Prawn): The Mountains biome (the island with the Quarantine Enforcement Platform) has the highest density of loose Magnetite in the game, plus drillable deposits in its caves. Approach from the west side and stay away from the northeast drop-off — the Reaper patrol zone. If you're in the Lost River for nickel anyway, the Bone Fields and Tree Cove are full of both, so a single deep trip stocks Magnetite, Nickel Ore and Ruby together (see our Nickel Ore guide for the Lost River routing).

Late (Prawn + drill arm): Large deposits in the Lost River and Inactive Lava Zone yield 7–14 per deposit — a 10-minute Prawn trip clears 40+ Magnetite, more than the rest of the game needs.

Magnetite Farming Tips

• Scanner Room scanning: build a Scanner Room over the Jellyshroom entrance and scan for Magnetite — the orange blips mark every chunk within 300 m (up to 500 m with Range Upgrades), and the HUD Chip puts them on your screen while swimming.
• Prawn drill deposits: Large Magnetite Deposits are the highest-yield source. A single deposit in the Lost River pays for a Stasis Rifle, a Sonar and a Thermal Plant.
• Don't waste early chunks on the Scanner Room Range Upgrade unless you're farming Magnetite regularly — the HUD Chip (1 Magnetite) and Stasis Rifle (1) give more value per chunk.
• Stockpile before the Lava Zones: the Thermal Plant needs Magnetite and Aerogel; the Aerogel itself needs Ruby and Gel Sacks (see our Aerogel guide), so plan the two farms together.

FAQ

Where do I find Magnetite in Subnautica?

The best early source is the Jellyshroom Cave under the Safe Shallows. The Mountains biome has the highest loose-item density, and the Lost River (Bone Fields, Ghost Forest, Tree Cove) plus the Inactive Lava Zone hold the large drillable deposits. It also appears in the Sea Treader's Path and Blood Kelp biomes.

What is Magnetite used for in Subnautica?

The Stasis Rifle, Seamoth Sonar (2), Cyclops Sonar Upgrade (3), Prawn Suit Propulsion Cannon (2), Scanner Room HUD Chip (1), Scanner Room Range Upgrade and the Thermal Plant (1). Its databank entry describes it as essential for sonar and torpedo tech.

How do I get Magnetite early game?

Find a Jellyshroom Cave entrance under the Safe Shallows, drop a beacon, and dive to the cave floor (~250–300 m) with a Seaglide and extra O₂. The loose Magnetite chunks on the floor give 8–15 per trip without any vehicle.

Is Magnetite in the Jellyshroom Cave?

Yes — it's one of the primary Magnetite biomes, with both loose chunks and Large Deposits, and it's the safest early farm. A second Jellyshroom Cave connects to the Grassy Plateaus for a longer but safer route.

What depth is Magnetite found at?

From ~250 m (Jellyshroom Cave) down to the Lava Zones beyond 900 m. The Mountains biome has it from the surface down to ~300 m, which makes it the easiest shallow source.

Related Guides

• Subnautica Nickel Ore — Where to Find It
• Subnautica Aerogel — Recipe and Where to Get Ruby & Gel Sacks
• Subnautica Multipurpose Room — Base Building Guide
• Subnautica Walkthrough — Full Story Progression

Last updated: August 13, 2026.