Some of the most critical upgrades for your car in Pacific Drive include special abilities. Utilities allow you to defend against anomalies and escape the zones more efficiently. Not all of them are straight forward to obtain, like the hidden ARC Doc, so here's how to get them!
Pacific Drive All Utilities Guide - How to unlock and use them
Most utilities you can get for your car are available straight from the Fabrication Station, except the ARC Doc and Handbrake which can be acquired through the storyline quests. These blueprints require you to meet specific prerequisites and have the materials and energy stocked up.
Related: All Garage upgrades & how to unlock them in Pacific Drive
Unlike usual upgrades, the utilities can be used as special abilities in your car, making them some of the most important upgrades to get. Here's a look at how to unlock them all:
| Blueprint | Description | Pre-Requisites | Materials | Energy | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Handbrake | Lock the car's rear wheels to stop quickly | Complete your first Drive | ||
 | Limpulse Emitter | Discharges an electrical current that can prevent anomalies from grabbing on or clinging to your car | - Basic Workbench - Install the Scanning Antenna - Scan a Bunny Anomaly | Fabric x2 | Stable Energy 1 kLIM |
 | Auto Parker | Automatically shifts the car into park when you exit | - Basic Workbench - Unlock a Seat Rack - Research Gear | Fabric x2 | Stable Energy 0.8 kLIM |
 | Jump Jacks | Propels the car into the air for a brief moment | - Basic Workbench - Unlock a Seat Rack | Fabric x2 | Stable Energy 1 kLIM |
 | ARC Doc | Drains battery to heal you | Unlock keypad room in Auto Shop | ||
 | Resource Radar | Detects nearby resources and raw materials | - Basic Workbench - Unlock a Roof Rack - Research Circuit Board | Fabric x2 | Unstable Energy 1.3 kLIM |
 | Ion Shield | Creates a field of protection against incoming anomalies | - Advanced Workbench - Scan Hot Dust - Unlock a Roof Rack - Research Circuit Board | Fabric x3 | Unstable Energy 1.4 kLIM |
 | Nitro Boost | Boosts the car forward for a brief moment | - Advanced Workbench - Research Circuit Board | Fabric x3 | Unstable Energy 1 kLIM |
 | Mobile Workbench | A mini workshop inside your car capable of crafting more complex items | - Craft Mat - Research Circuit Board | Olypium Fragment x20 Plastic x10 Circuit Board x2 Duct Tape x4 | Corrupted Energy 0.7 kLIM |
 | The Lazarus Device | Dumps collected energy to repair and heal the car | - Advanced Workbench - Scan Remnant Ghost - Unlock a Roof Rack - Research Circuit Board | Fabric x3 | Unstable Energy 1 kLIM |
| TBD | Chrono Dilator | Bends time, requiring less energy to open gateways and clears affected zones faster | - | - | - |
| TBD | Magnetic Bumper | Magnetize loose resources to your bumper | - | - | - |
| TBD | Anti-Grav Emitter | Creates an anti-gravity field, allowing the car to fall gently | - | - | - |
Some of these blueprints unlock the crafting recipe for you, requiring you to rebuild them and install them after they break or wear out. Others, like the ARC Doc, Auto Parker, Handbrake, or Mobile Workbench, are installed immediately and don't need to be crafted. However, no matter how they are installed, most utilities require you to equip them into an ability slot before you can put them to good use.
Related: All Garage upgrades & how to unlock them in Pacific Drive
How to equip and use utilities in Pacific Drive
You can equip up to four utility abilities at once by interacting with the ability pad on the top left side of your car dash. You can pick from the list of available skills (determined by what utilities you have installed) and equip them into the slots of four different keybinds. Pressing those keybinds will activate the ability in that slot.
Using the abilities will use battery charge, some more than others. If you plan on using your abilities a lot, ensure you bring along some Battery Jumpers or Plasma Chargers just in case. You will be prepared for any obstacle in your path!
Looking for more Pacific Drive content? Check out How to get a Side Rack in Pacific Drive or How to get Thermosap Crystals in Pacific Drive on Pro Game Guides.
Published: Feb 27, 2024 10:32 am