The Outer Worlds 2 Inhaler Charges Guide: How to Never Run Out of Heals

Few moments in The Outer Worlds 2 are more panic-inducing than realizing you’re low on health during a firefight—and completely out of Inhaler Charges. Unlike many modern games where healing automatically regenerates, The Outer Worlds 2 requires you to actively manage your healing resources. It’s a system that adds genuine tension to combat, but it can also leave newcomers frustrated when they don’t understand how it works.

The good news? Once you know the three main methods for restocking your Inhaler, you’ll rarely find yourself in desperate situations. Let me walk you through everything you need to know about managing this crucial survival tool.

Understanding the Medical Inhaler System

Your First (and Only) Healing Tool

You’ll receive the Medical Inhaler during the tutorial sequence at Horizon Point, and it immediately becomes your lifeline. This isn’t a supplementary healing item—it’s your primary method of staying alive in combat. Unlike health potions in other RPGs that you collect dozens of, the Inhaler works on a charge system.

Here’s what catches new players off guard: The Inhaler doesn’t automatically refill. Ever. You can’t just wait around or sleep to restore charges. This fundamental difference from games with regenerating health means you need to actively seek out ways to replenish your healing capacity.

Think of it less like a magic health potion and more like a rechargeable battery. You’re not collecting multiple inhalers—you’re finding ways to recharge the one you have. This system encourages exploration, resource management, and tactical thinking about when to heal versus when to push through damage.

No Cap on Maximum Charges

One crucial detail that many players miss: there’s no upper limit on Inhaler Charges. You can stockpile 10, 20, or even 50+ charges if you’re diligent about collecting them. This means you should toujours grab healing opportunities when you see them, even at full health.

Early in the game, I made the mistake of skipping AutoDocs because I was already at full health. Don’t repeat my error—those “wasted” charges become invaluable insurance during the game’s tougher encounters later on.

Method 1: AutoDoc Stations (The Fastest Route)

What AutoDocs Do

AutoDoc stations are your best friend for quickly restocking Inhaler Charges. These medical terminals appear throughout Arcadia, and interacting with one provides three immediate benefits:

• Restauration complète de la santé (removes all damage)
• Status effect removal (clears poison, bleeding, etc.)
• +2 Inhaler Charges (the main reason you’re here)

The catch? Each AutoDoc can only grant charges once per playthrough. After you’ve used it, the station remains functional for other purposes but won’t give you additional charges. This one-time limitation makes AutoDocs a non-renewable resource—use them wisely.

Strategic AutoDoc Usage

Here’s a strategy that serves me well: Use AutoDocs even when you don’t need immediate healing. Since there’s no charge cap, activating an AutoDoc at full health still grants those two charges for future use. You’re essentially banking healing for later, which is far more valuable than leaving charges on the table.

When to prioritize AutoDocs:

• Before entering known combat zones or dungeons
• After completing a difficult area (to prepare for what’s next)
• Whenever you spot one during exploration (don’t save them!)
• When your charge count is dangerously low (under 3-4)

Where to find them:

• Medical facilities and clinics (obviously)
• Major settlements and towns
• Corporate buildings and research stations
• Ship interiors and landing zones
• Hidden in side rooms during main quests

For players just starting out, check our guide du débutant for more tips on essential systems like this.

The “AutoDoc Route” Strategy

Once you understand that AutoDocs are one-time resources, you can plan exploration routes that maximize charge collection. Before tackling challenging content, sweep through areas you haven’t fully explored yet, hitting every AutoDoc you encounter. This preparation prevents the frustration of running out of charges mid-dungeon with no way to recover.

Method 2: Drug Items (Percentage-Based Charges)

How Drug Items Work

As you explore Arcadia, you’ll pick up countless consumable items. Most are food and drinks that restore health directly, but some are classified as Drug items that restore Inhaler Charge percentages instead.

Here’s the system in detail:

• Drug items provide 8-32%+ charge restoration (varies by item)
• The percentage is immediately consumed upon pickup (not stored in inventory)
• Once you accumulate 100% through multiple pickups, you gain one full charge
• Your progress toward the next charge is shown in the bar below your Inhaler icon

This percentage system is actually brilliant. It means even small drug pickups contribute toward your next charge, and nothing goes to waste. Found a drug that gives 15% charge? That’s 15% closer to your next full heal.

Where to Find Drug Items

Not all loot is created equal. Drug items appear in specific locations:

High-probability areas:

• Medical facilities and hospitals
• Science laboratories and research centers
• Corporate office buildings (check desks and cabinets)
• Pharmacies and medical supply rooms
• Secured/restricted areas (they hide the good stuff)

Common container types:

• Medical supply crates (bright red containers)
• Medicine cabinets in bathrooms
• Desk drawers in medical offices
• Corpses of scientists and medical personnel
• Locked high-security lockboxes

One tip I learned the hard way: Always read item descriptions before picking up consumables. The game doesn’t clearly distinguish between food (health restoration) and drugs (charge restoration) until you check the description. That “nutrition bar” might be a drug item worth significantly more than its health-restoration counterpart.

Smart Looting Habits

Developing efficient looting habits dramatically increases your charge accumulation:

Do this:

• Thoroughly search medical areas (they’re goldmines)
• Check every container, even in “safe” areas
• Prioritize drug items over generic food when inventory juggling
• Utiliser Mag-Picks and Bypass Shunts to access locked drug stashes

Skip this:

• Generic food items when you already have charges
• Containers in completely explored areas you’ve already looted
• Items with low percentage values when you’re at high charges (unless capped inventory demands it)

Method 3: The Connoisseur Perk (Game-Changer)

Why This Perk Is Essential

Of all the perks available in The Outer Worlds 2, Connoisseur might be the single most impactful for survival-focused builds. This perk provides two synergistic benefits:

1. +25% health restoration from food and drink items
2. +25% Inhaler Charge percentage from drug items

That second benefit is the real prize. Every drug item you pick up grants 25% more charge than it normally would. An item that gives 20% charge? Now it gives 25%. One that grants 32%? Now it’s 40%. These bonuses accumulate fast over the course of a playthrough.

The Math That Matters

Let’s break down the actual impact with a practical example:

Without Connoisseur:

• Drug item grants 20% charge
• You need 5 similar items to gain one full charge
• Total charges from 20 items: 4 full charges

With Connoisseur:

• Same drug item now grants 25% charge (20% × 1.25)
• You need only 4 items to gain one full charge
• Total charges from 20 items: 5 full charges

Over dozens of pickups throughout the game, this adds up to significativement more healing capacity. We’re talking 10-20+ additional charges over a full playthrough, which can mean the difference between life and death in tough fights.

How to Get Connoisseur Early

Here’s the beautiful part: Connoisseur has minimal requirements. You only need to invest one skill point into the Medical skill. That’s it. One point. This makes it accessible incredibly early in the game, potentially as soon as level 2 (when you get your first perk point).

Quick acquisition path:

1. Level up to level 2 (first perk point earned)
2. Invest one skill point in Medical from your level-up
3. Select Connoisseur as your perk choice
4. Immediately start benefiting from 25% bonus charges

For context, check out our guide on best starting builds to see how Connoisseur fits into various character archetypes. Spoiler: it fits into all of them.

Is It Worth the Investment?

Absolutely, yes—for 99% of players. Unless you’re doing some kind of challenge run where you deliberately avoid healing, Connoisseur provides value that far exceeds its minimal cost. Even players focused on stealth or dialogue builds benefit enormously when combat inevitably happens.

The only builds that might skip it are pure pacifist runs where you literally never engage in combat. For everyone else, this is a first-choice perk that pays dividends throughout your entire playthrough.

Advanced Inhaler Management Strategies

Pre-Planning Major Encounters

Once you understand the Inhaler system, you can prepare for tough fights by maximizing your charges beforehand:

Before boss fights or difficult areas:

1. Sweep nearby zones for unexplored AutoDocs
2. Loot all medical areas you haven’t thoroughly searched
3. Consider choosing the right faction allegiances that grant access to medical facilities
4. Stock up on charges until you’re sitting on 15-20+

This preparation transforms challenging encounters from “barely survived” to “comfortably managed.” The difference between having 3 charges and 15 charges is enormous.

Balancing Health vs. Charges

Compréhension quand to use your Inhaler versus finding alternative healing is crucial:

Use Inhaler when:

• In active combat and taking consistent damage
• Status effects are actively draining health
• No safe areas are nearby for food consumption
• You need immediate, substantial healing (30-50%+ health)

Use food items when:

• Out of combat in a safe area
• Only slightly damaged (missing 20-30% health)
• Preserving Inhaler Charges for known upcoming challenges
• Food provides sufficient healing for current needs

Food items restore health without consuming precious Inhaler Charges, making them perfect for between-combat healing. Save your charges for when you really need them.

Difficulty-Specific Considerations

Your approach to Inhaler management should scale with difficulty:

Lower difficulties: You can be more liberal with charge usage. Mistakes are forgiving, and you’ll find enough resources to stay topped up without much planning.

Difficultés plus élevées : Treat charges like gold. Pre-plan encounters, maximize charge stockpiling, and grab Connoisseur ASAP. The increased damage means you’ll burn through charges faster, making efficiency critical.

Erreurs courantes à éviter

Mistake #1: Saving AutoDocs “For Later”

This is the #1 newbie trap. Players see an AutoDoc, think “I’m at full health, I’ll come back when I need it,” and then either forget about it or find themselves in a combat zone unable to return. Use AutoDocs immediately. The charges don’t expire, and future-you will thank present-you for the preparation.

Mistake #2: Ignoring Drug Item Descriptions

Many players grab every consumable without reading descriptions, only to realize they’ve been picking up mostly food items while ignoring the drug items that actually restore charges. This is especially problematic in medical areas where both types are abundant—you might fill your inventory with the wrong type.

Solution: Take two seconds to read descriptions, especially in medical facilities. Prioritize drugs over food when both are available.

Mistake #3: Delaying the Connoisseur Perk

Some players think “I’ll grab Connoisseur later when I have spare perk points.” The problem? Every drug item you pick up before getting this perk represents wasted bonus percentages. The earlier you acquire it, the more value you extract over the course of the game.

Solution: Unless your build has a very specific reason to prioritize something else, make Connoisseur your first or second perk choice.

Mistake #4: Not Exploring Thoroughly

Inhaler Charges reward exploration. Players who rush through main story objectives while ignoring side areas will consistently run lower on charges than those who explore comprehensively. Those “optional” medical facilities? They’re not optional if you want to maintain a healthy charge stockpile.

Solution: Utilisez notre what to do first guide to establish good exploration habits early. Thorough exploration pays off in multiple ways, and charge accumulation is a major one.

Synergies with Other Systems

Companion Management

Your companions can also fall in combat, and while they’ll eventually get back up, keeping them healthy makes fights much smoother. Understanding your own Inhaler system helps you manage overall team survivability better.

Additionally, certain companion perks and abilities can reduce the damage your team takes overall, which indirectly preserves your Inhaler Charges by reducing how often you need to heal.

Considérations relatives à la construction

Différent builds and backgrounds interact with the Inhaler system differently:

Combat-heavy builds: Burn through charges faster, making Connoisseur essential and AutoDoc hunting a priority.

Stealth builds: Use fewer charges overall since you avoid combat, but still want Connoisseur for the inevitable fights.

Dialogue/Tech builds: Similar to stealth—fewer charges needed, but having them available provides crucial safety net.

Equipment and Health Pool

Increasing your maximum health means each Inhaler charge restores more total HP, making your charges more efficient. This creates a positive feedback loop where health investments make your healing more effective.

Similarly, better armor reduces incoming damage, which means each charge lasts longer since you’re taking less damage between heals.

Long-Term Planning (Considering the Level Cap)

Given that The Outer Worlds 2 caps at level 30, you have limited skill and perk points to work with. This makes early decisions like grabbing Connoisseur even more important—you can’t afford to waste perk slots on marginal benefits when something like Connoisseur provides constant value throughout your entire playthrough.

The limited progression also means you should establish efficient healing patterns early. By the time you hit max level, you want to have developed good habits around resource management, AutoDoc usage, and strategic item collection.

Resource Management Philosophy

At its core, the Inhaler system embodies The Outer Worlds 2’s design philosophy: thoughtful resource management over infinite resources. It’s the same philosophy behind choosing which items to sell versus break down or deciding how to spend your limited Advanced Decryption Keys.

These interconnected systems create a gameplay loop where preparation, exploration, and smart decision-making are rewarded. Players who engage with these systems meaningfully will have noticeably smoother experiences than those who ignore them.

Réflexions finales

Managing Inhaler Charges isn’t complicated once you understand the three core methods: AutoDocs for quick bursts, drug items for steady accumulation, and Connoisseur for 25% efficiency gains. The system adds just enough tension to make combat meaningful without becoming frustrating—assuming you engage with it properly.

My biggest piece of advice? Get Connoisseur early, use every AutoDoc you find immediately, and thoroughly explore medical facilities. These three habits alone will keep you topped up on charges throughout your entire journey through The Outer Worlds 2 on Xbox and other platforms.

Remember: running out of Inhaler Charges isn’t a failure of the game’s design—it’s a signal that you need to explore more thoroughly and engage more deeply with the survival systems Obsidian carefully designed.

Quick Reference:

• AutoDoc benefit: +2 charges (one-time per station)
• Drug items: 8-32%+ charge restoration (immediate consumption)
• Connoisseur perk: +25% charge from drug items (requires 1 Medical skill point)
• Charge cap: None (stockpile freely)
• Best early perk: Connoisseur (level 2)