If you’ve spent hours running around Palworld looking for high-quality ore or rare schematics that never seem to pop up, you’re not alone. Most new players skip crafting the metal detector early on, and they miss out on tons of exclusive loot that makes base building and Pal capturing way easier. If you’re wondering how to use metal detector in Palworld to cut down your grind for rare materials, this guide breaks down everything you need to know, from crafting the tool to interpreting its weird beeping patterns so you never leave a valuable item buried again.
What You Need to Craft a Metal Detector First
You can’t use a metal detector if you don’t make one first, right? You’ll unlock the recipe once you hit Technology Level 22, so don’t stress about it in your first 10 hours of gameplay. When you’re ready to craft it, you’ll need these materials at a standard workbench:
- 10 Ingots: You can smelt any common ore like copper or iron to get these, no rare materials required here.
- 5 Circuit Boards: These drop from Pals like Sparkit and Robinquill, or you can craft them once you unlock the recipe at Level 19.
- 2 Batteries: You’ll get these from defeating electric-type Pals or looting chests in high-tech biomes like the Desert Ruins.
That means you don’t have to grind for super rare drops to make your first detector, which is a nice change from most late-game tools in Palworld. I usually craft my first detector as soon as I hit Level 22, even if I’m still working on upgrading my base, because the loot I find pays for the crafting cost in less than 30 minutes of use. Most new players assume the metal detector only works for ore, but it picks up every type of buried item in the game, including cosmetic chests and rare Pal souls.
How to Use Metal Detector in Palworld to Locate Buried Loot
First, equip the metal detector from your tool wheel, just like you would a pickaxe or grappling hook. When you have it out, you’ll see a small bar pop up on the bottom of your screen, plus you’ll hear beeps that get faster as you get closer to a buried item. The first thing most new players get wrong is ignoring the color of the bar on the detector interface. The bar turns red when you’re standing directly on top of a buried item, so don’t stop moving until you see that bright red pop up and the beeping turns into a steady tone.
Once you’re in the right spot, you just need to hit the interact button to dig up the item, no extra tools required. But wait, you have to be standing on flat ground to dig, right? If you’re on a steep slope or on top of a rock, the interact prompt won’t show up even if you’re right on top of loot. I learned that the hard way once, spending 10 minutes running back and forth on a mountainside wondering why the detector was beeping like crazy and I couldn’t dig anything up. You don’t have to hold the interact button down for long when you use your metal detector, the dig animation only takes about a second to complete.
Common Loot You Can Find With a Metal Detector
You won’t just get random chunks of ore when you use your detector, though that’s definitely a nice bonus if you’re running low on iron or coal. The most valuable drops you can get are exclusive buried schematics for high-tier gear, like the legendary assault rifle or upgraded Pal Spheres that have a 2x higher catch rate for boss Pals. You can also find rare Pal Souls that let you upgrade your favorite Pals’ stats permanently, which you can’t get anywhere else except for defeating high-level Alpha Pals.
Other common drops include large stacks of gold coins, rare crafting materials like sulfur and quartz, and even lost chests with cosmetic items for your character or base. The type of loot you find depends a lot on the biome you’re searching in, too. For example, you’ll mostly find coal and fire-related schematics in the volcanic biome, while the snowy biome has tons of buried quartz and ice-type Pal gear schematics. If you use your metal detector in the desert biome specifically, you have a higher chance of finding legendary weapon schematics that sell for thousands of gold coins each.
Pro Tips to Make Your Metal Detector Runs More Efficient
Now that you know the basics of using the detector, there are a few small tricks that will help you get more loot in less time, without wasting battery life wandering around aimlessly. First, turn up your in-game audio if you can, because the beeps are way easier to hear than the small bar is to see, especially if you’re running through thick forests or rocky terrain. You don’t have to search every inch of the map either. I always stick to open, flat areas like meadows or desert flats, because you won’t run into the slope issue I mentioned earlier, and you can cover way more ground in less time.
Another thing to remember is that your detector only has a range of about 20 meters, so you don’t need to run in wide circles to cover area. Stick to a grid pattern if you’re searching for a specific schematic, and you’ll cover every spot in the area without missing anything. You can recharge a dead metal detector for free by leaving it in a chest connected to your base’s power generator, no extra battery materials required. If you bring a fast Pal like Chillet with you when you use your metal detector, you can cover way more ground in half the time, especially if you’re searching across large open biomes.
At the end of the day, the metal detector is one of the most underrated tools in Palworld, and learning how to use metal detector in Palworld can cut your grind for rare materials and schematics in half. You don’t have to be a late-game player to get value out of it either, even if you only use it a couple times a week to stock up on gold coins or Pal Souls, it’s well worth the small crafting cost. Next time you log on, take 30 minutes to craft one and take it for a spin around your base, you’ll be shocked at how much good loot is buried right under your feet.