Starfield Cruise Mode and Free Lanes encounters explained

Starfield Cruise Mode allows you to fly through the space between planets within a system while taking in the full experience, instead of simply using fast travel to jump there in an instant. Along the way you can discover Starfield Free Lanes encounters, triggering events that can either help or hinder you as you journey over vast distances. During certain Starfield Terran Armada Incursions you’ll be forced to use this new option as fast travel will be disabled, so here’s what you need to know about Cruise Mode in Starfield and Free Lanes encounters.

How to use Cruise Mode in Starfield

Once your ship is in space, you can use Cruise Mode in Starfield by holding down L1/LB to activate the prompt to the left of your craft’s HUD. This will expand the viewing area ahead of you, then you can point your ship in the direction you want to travel in Starfield and push L3/LS to accelerate to the maximum cruising speed of your vessel.

If something of interest is detected, a marker with a brief description will appear on the screen, which you can select with Cross/A and then hit R1/RB to activate Autopilot to fly to that location. You ship will automatically fly to it and then reduce speed, so you don’t need to worry about overshooting your target – likewise, if you’re just cruising through space then your ship will automatically slow down to avoid slamming into planets or moons in front of you.

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While you’re using Starfield Cruise Mode to fly through space, you can hold Circle/B to exit the pilot seat and freely move around your ship. You can chat to your crewmates, access storage, or use the crafting and research stations, while you enjoy this alternative to Starfield fast travel and wait for the next Free Lanes encounter to come along.

What are Free Lanes encounters in Starfield?

Free Lanes encounters in Starfield are the activities you discover while travelling around space in Cruise Mode, and can take many forms. We’ve made some interesting discoveries already, including a relay satellite that we enabled to send a burst signal calling in a nearby smuggler to trade with and a weary traveller searching for her missing wife, and there are many more tales out there to be discovered.