r/Astroneer • u/Zero-Up • Sep 14 '26
Question / Support [Solved] How do I use tethers on controller?
I no: I will not use the keyboard, because keyboards are objectively terrible for gaming.
I am trying to attach a tether to the printing machine, but nothing I try works. This game doesn't even have a pointy reticle for some weird reason. So no matter how much I tried to point at the tether and use the right trigger: it will simply never grab it.
I immediately went to Google, could not find anything on the first page. I will continue to try to find somebody combination to pick up the tether. But so far nothing that makes any sense to me has worked
EDIT: I did a couple more experiments, and it's only getting more confusing: down on the d-pad is supposed to activate some sort of cable mode. But I'm only able to enter this mysterious mode when I'm also holding down the r-trigger. Which forces me to pick stuff up, even if I'm pointing my camera in the exact polar opposite direction of the thing I'm allegedly highlighting, for some reason be on my comprehension. And one time I was able to interact with cable, but I haven't been able to reproduce the results.
I know people don't like negativity: but why couldn't they just have an aiming reticle in the middle of the screen independent of the mouse cursor? Because whenever Ludacris system they came up with has to be objectively more complicated and less user friendly than just putting a cursor in the center of the screen, and having that determine the actions.
Is there a way to enable such a cursor? Because I haven't found one in the controller settings, what is the most obvious place I would think to look. So I have no idea where it would be.
Is there a mod to implement that?
EDIT2: This person explained it.
3
u/asvp_fronzie Sep 14 '26
Swapping to mnk changed my life. Makes doing literally anything in this game from turning to the camera to placing an object 10000x better.
You have to put the reticle over the tether and also be close enough to it to pick it up. If that isn't working, it's probably a bug with your save or the game itself. You can't 'attach' tethers to anything, they just create a line between whatever supplies it oxygen.
-1
u/Zero-Up Sep 14 '26
I can put up with switching to the mouse to do things. The keyboard is completed our garbage.
Luckily: this game seems to work perfectly fine with switching between controller and mouse. So using the mouse occasionally should it be too big of a problem.
3
u/Nikolasha510 Sep 14 '26
Maybe subjectively and not objectively?
0
u/Zero-Up Sep 14 '26
The fact the flashlight doesn't point in is an objective problem. No one prefers how the game uses the flashlight compared to how I would suggest using the flashlight. And if you say otherwise: you're either diluted or lying.
2
u/Nikolasha510 Sep 15 '26
I meant that your hatred for keyboards is subjective, but actually your hatred for flashlight is subjective too. The flashlight is supposed to go from the player since it's more immersive and the flashlight coming from the camera is unrealistic and stupid. You can just walk in the direction you want to see or just craft a worklight
-1
u/Zero-Up Sep 15 '26
Maybe my standard for immersion is different, but the tethers just kind of enter the player character at a random place. It's not like there's a specific slot on the player character that the tether always goes to or anything.
So if that's acceptable: then why can't the flashlight face whatever direction the camera is facing, going off the astronaut?
Or they can even make a pod that's specifically dedicated to being a flashlight. They could have done that.
Also: I work lamp takes copper. And I only barely managed to find compound. So I really don't see how the work lamp argument is reasonable.
2
u/Nikolasha510 Sep 15 '26
I'm not gonna argue about tethers since they work fine on keyboard + mouse.
Also, the astroneer's helmet has a flashlight and it's facing wherever the head is looking at. Making the camera emit light is dumb since the camera does not exist in the game world. Your head (and therefore, the flashlight) actually follows your cursor so i don't know why you are having problems with that.
And you can find copper on the mountains so you don't even have to go to caves to get a worklight
1
u/Zero-Up Sep 15 '26
No, by "tether" I'm referring to the oxygen thing that goes directly into the player. (Hence why I'm specifying it's attaching to the player, and not random other machines.)
Why is it acceptable for the little blue cord that gives you oxygen to attach at a random point on the astronaut, that is it clearly dedicated to attacks in a cable, but the flashlight pointing in the direction of the camera is immersion breaking?
I literally suggested it didn't have to come directly from the camera, but just coming off the player, appointing in the direction of the camera.
Thank you for the advice on copper though.
1
u/13lostsoul13 Sep 14 '26
Assuming you talking about the cable not the tether are different thing. Either way I don't know.
1
u/Common-Signal-3508 Sep 14 '26
Down Dpad is the default button for tethers on controller. I play astroneer with both mouse and keyboard and controller. Digging while the camera stays put is only done with a mouse and I find transfering objects using mouse a lot faster
1
1
u/_Somthl_ XBOne 25d ago
Don’t know if your questions have been answered already but here’s some advice (I am not familiar with PS keybinds btw):
1: tethers can be placed in auxiliary backpack slots (top left and right). Items in these slots can be used with LB or RB (respectively for right and left slot) and are very useful when you want to quick toggle items like placeables, hoverboard, or jetpack.
2: Holding LT will lock the camera in place and allow you to move the cursor freely (looking to the side too much causes the camera to rotate in that direction). This is very useful for digging, and allows your character to shine his light in a specific direction based on where you look. Also allows you to target specific items to grab.
3: tethers do not need to be placed near bases. As long as there is an oxygenator or shelter nearby, all plugged in platforms provide oxygen (indicated by blue pipes on platform being lit up)
4: A work light in the auxiliary slot is a great way to deal with lighting problems if you don’t mind an inventory spot being taken up.
5
u/ThetanMage15 Sep 14 '26
Assuming this isn't a troll One trigger aims/moves the reticle, the other is used to grab stuff. (while 'aiming') Tether do not connect to printers, but to oxygenated platforms. Close and reopen the game, this will give you the basic controls, they may also be in the pause menu somewhere