Death Stranding: How to Use the Scanner

How do you use the scanner in Death Stranding and Death Stranding Director's Cut? What does the Odradek scanner do in Death Stranding? Sam Porter Bridges' scanner, which appears behind his left shoulder when called into action, has many uses that the player can take advantage of. From helping out with cargo collection to marking enemies, it's something you'll want to be using all the time. As part of our Death Stranding guide, here's how you use the scanner.

How to Use the Scanner in Death Stranding

Death Stranding's scanner can be activated manually by pressing R1, and this sends out a holographic search which highlights a number of things in the environment. You'll immediately be notified of any lost cargo in the vicinity and the Prepper it needs to be delivered to, as well as any nearby materials available for pick up.

Another situation where the scanner comes into use is when you're tasked with crossing a body of water. Trigger a scan and different coloured symbols will appear. This is what tells you whether a river is safe to cross or not. A blue circle on the HUD indicates shallow water can be crossed with ease, while a yellow square means that deep water is afoot. You can cross rivers that reach these depths, but make sure you've got plenty of stamina and move carefully while holding L2 and R2 to preserve your balance. Red squares are the ones you want to avoid entirely, indicating that very deep water is nearby which will sweep you away immediately. If you come across water with that indicator, you're going to need to either find a different way of crossing or search out a shallower part of the stream.

The scanner is just as important when it comes to dealing with BTs too. You can detect their presence as soon as you activate the scanner, but you must be standing still for them to become visible. If you trigger a scan while you're on the move, BTs will not appear. You don't even need to activate the odradek scanner for it to be of some use, however. It'll automatically track the location of the BT closest to your position, giving you some idea of which direction you shouldn't be headed in.

How often do you use the scanner in Death Stranding? Complete a delivery in the comments section below, and check out our Death Stranding guide for more information.