Look, X4: Foundations doesn't exactly hold your hand. Egosoft has a habit of dropping players into a massive, complex universe with a manual that feels like it was translated from Boron to Terran and back again. One of the biggest hurdles for new pilots—and even some veterans who’ve been away for a while—is figuring out how to use the scanner in X4 Foundations effectively. It’s not just one button. It’s a suite of tools that behave differently depending on what you’re looking for, and if you get the modes mixed up, you’re just going to be flying in circles around a station wondering why nothing is happening.
You’ve got your basic Scan Mode, your Long Range Scan, and the specialized police scanners. They all overlap, but they serve totally different purposes.
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The basic scan mode: more than just pretty colors
When you're hovering near a station and you want to find those data leaks or figure out what a specific module does, you need the standard Scan Mode. Usually, the default toggle is Shift + 2. You'll know it's active because your cockpit HUD shifts into a purple-ish hue.
Don't just fly around randomly.
To actually get information, you need to be close. Like, "don't scratch the paint" close. If you're trying to scan a station to 100% completion, you have to fly near every individual module. The scanner reveals things like storage levels, production schedules, and logical overviews. If you’re playing the pirate life or trying to hack a station’s storage to dump some free cargo, this mode is your bread and butter.
Finding the signal leaks
The most common reason people ask about how to use the scanner in X4 Foundations is because they’re hunting for missions or black market leads. These show up as "Signal Leaks." They look like small, sparking bits of electrical interference on the hull of a station.
Listen for the audio cue. It sounds like radio static.
When you hear that crackle, you’re close. You have to point your ship directly at the spark and get within a few dozen meters. If you’re in Scan Mode, the ship will automatically "decrypt" the signal. Sometimes you get a mission. Sometimes you get a permanent discount at that station. Other times, you get a lead for a black market dealer who will actually buy those illegal AGI processors you’ve been hoarding.
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Long range scanning: the "Ping" of the gods
Then there’s the Long Range Scan. This is Shift + 3. It’s a completely different beast. You aren't looking at station modules here; you're looking for things miles away—abandoned ships, lockboxes, or those elusive data vaults.
Using it isn't just a toggle. You have to "charge" it.
You hold down your secondary fire button (usually L or your right mouse button/joystick trigger) and watch the blue circle grow on your HUD. If you hold it too long, the scan fails and makes a sad "fizzout" sound. Release it right when the circle hits its peak—roughly two seconds—and you’ll send out a massive pulse.
- Blue circles/pings: These are usually stations or gates. Boring, mostly.
- Gold/Yellow pings: These are the prizes. Lockboxes, wreckage, or rare anomalies.
- Purple pings: These often indicate data vaults or unusual phenomena.
If you’re out in a sector like Silent Witness or The Void, you’ll find that the Long Range Scan is basically the only way to find the "hidden" content Egosoft tucked away. Honestly, the game feels empty until you realize half the cool stuff is 200km off the main trade lanes, hidden behind a successful pulse scan.
Why your scan might be failing
It’s frustrating when you’re staring at a ship and the info says "Unknown."
You might be using the wrong scanner. There is a "Police Scanner" upgrade you can buy at most Equipment Docks. Without it, your basic scan only tells you the surface-level stuff. With a Police Scanner, you can see a ship's inventory. If you want to know if that "Freelancer" is actually a Scale Plate Pact pirate carrying a load of Spaceweed, you need the Police Scanner active in Scan Mode.
Select the target. Get within 1km. Hit F and select "Scan."
If they turn red and start shooting, well, you found the contraband. Just remember that scanning ships in "civilized" space like Argon Prime is technically illegal unless you have a police license for that specific faction. You'll get a stern warning from the local authorities if you're caught snooping through someone's cargo hold without the proper paperwork.
A quick note on the spacesuit scanner
Don't forget you have a scanner on your back. Literally.
When you eject from your ship, your spacesuit has its own Scan Mode (Shift + 2). This is actually better than your ship’s scanner for certain things. If you’re trying to repair a data leak for a mission and your ship is too bulky to get into the crevices of the station, hop out. The spacesuit scanner is much more sensitive for "repair" missions and sensitive data decryption. Plus, it’s the only way to plant EMP bombs if you’re trying to steal blueprints without paying millions of credits for them.
Navigating the map with scanner data
The map in X4 is a live entity. If you’ve used your scanner to identify a station's production modules, that information stays in your database.
This is huge for traders.
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If you know a station has three Hull Part production modules because you flew by and scanned them, your trade computer can more accurately predict when they'll run out of raw materials. You’re not just scanning for fun; you’re building a library of economic intelligence. Experts like Captain Collins or the folks over at the Egosoft forums often point out that a well-scanned sector is worth five times more in profit than a "fog of war" sector.
Actionable steps for your next flight
If you’re sitting in your cockpit right now feeling overwhelmed, do this:
- Fly to any station. Any one will do.
- Hit
Shift + 2to enter Scan Mode. - Hug the station's hull. Stay under 50m.
- Follow the static sound until you find a red or leaking spark.
- Hover over it until the "Communication Decrypted" message pops up.
- Once you've mastered that, fly 50km away from everything, hit
Shift + 3, and practice the two-second "charge and release" for the Long Range Scan.
The scanner isn't just a tool; it's how you actually "see" the game. Without it, you're just a truck driver in space. With it, you're a scout, a spy, and a tycoon. Get used to the rhythmic "ping" of the long-range pulse—it’s the sound of credits being made.
Once you’ve found a few lockboxes using the Long Range Scan, your next priority should be docking at a Wharf to upgrade to the Mk2 software. It makes the signal detection much more forgiving. You’ll also want to look into the "Boso Ta" research missions early on, as they unlock even deeper ways to interact with station modules you've scanned, including the ability to literally steal the plans for the modules themselves. Stop paying for blueprints and start scanning for them. It’s the only way to fly.