Ether is one of the currencies inReturnal, with the other being Obolites.Returnalis aroguelike title, which means players start the game from the beginning or from a recurring checkpoint each time they die. Given the game’s immense difficulty, dying is something many players will experience while playing this game. Whenever they do die and respawn to begin a new cycle, they lose a lot of things they’ve collected from the previous one. This includes weapons, items, and Obolites, among a few more.
On the other hand, there are also certain items players keep. These includepermanent upgradesand equipment such as the Atropian Blade and the Icarian Grapnel. Additionally, ethers are among the items that persist throughout every cycle. Ethers are also not as common as Obolites, which means they are highly valuable and should be used and spent wisely. That being said, these are the best uses of Ethers inReturnal.
1Reconstructors
In every biome inReturnal, there are tall machines that have a tall alien-shaped opening on them. These machine are Reconstructors, and are the best thing to spend Ethers on in the game.Reconstructors can function like a “checkpoint” in exchange for six Ethers.This means players can respawn here instead of at the beginning of the game should their HP reach zero.
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Reconstructors can only be used once per run.Should the player decide to use this and their HP falls to zero, they won’t be able to re-activate the Reconstructor once they respawn. Another thing to note about the Reconstructors is that they only work on the biomes in which they’re found. This means if the player uses a Reconstructor in theFractured Wastesand dies in the Abyssal Scar, they won’t respawn in the Reconstructor.
2Cthonos
The Cthonos is the alien obelisk found at the beginning of each cycle, in the same room as Helios. Players canuse the Cthonos to unlock new items and artifacts in exchange for Ether.This is one of the ways to unlock new items and artifacts inthis difficult game, aside from finding them in biomes and using datacubes.
Given that there are only a handful of uses for Ether inReturnal, this is also another way to thoughtfully spend it. Players should be able to unlock many new items and artifacts so long as they continue running through the game. They’ll be able to unlock more of them faster by using the Cthonos as well. Players should take advantage of this device if they have Ethers to spare. This is also a great way of unlocking more items to use should the player want to give theTower of Sisyphusa try.
3Cleanse Malignancy
A lot of items and collectibles inReturnalare plagued with malignancy. These malignant objects, once picked up or opened, have a chance of causing malfunction. Malfunctions are debuffs that completely affect one’s playthrough. For example, a malfunction can cause the player’s weapons to deal only 50% damage if their HP is full. Another example is that picking up items and opening chests can cause damage to the player.
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Malignant objects can include Resins, Obolite Chunks, keys, and even chests. One way to fix a malfunction is to meet the condition determined by the malfunction itself. These conditions can include collecting a certain amount of Obolites or eliminating a certain number of enemies. However, the player can remove the malignancy altogether bycleansing malignant items with Ether.This can cost from 3 to 5 Ether, depending on the malfunction probability.
4Obolite Repository
Players can also spend Ether on Obolite Repositories. These are found at the beginning of every cycle and in terminals found in each biome, from the first one to theAbyssal Scar. Obolite Repositories are devices players can use to trade Obolites with Ethers and the other way around. The exchange rate varies depending on how many Obolite or Ether a player has.
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Players can use3, 5, or 10 Ether for 200, 300, or 500 Obolites, respectively.The same exchange rate works the other way around. The Obolite Repository is a great tool if the player has too many of one currency and too little of the other. For example, the player can use this if they want to purchase items from the Fabricator and have too many Ethers, but too few Obolites.
5Horde Ether for the Two-Way Radio
There is an artifact inReturnalcalled the Two-Way Radio. According to the description of the artifact, this creates a positive relationship between Ether and Protection. This means thatthe more Ether a player has, the higher their defense buff will be if they have this artifact.Because of this artifact, one of the best uses of the Ether is to not spend it at all.
At the very least, the player should keep an ample amount of it if they have this artifact. As the player goes throughcycle after cycle, they’re bound to come across a plethora of Ether. Once they acquire the Two-Way Radio, they’ll have a reason to horde Ether instead of panic-spending it just for the sake of it. This isn’t the priority use of Ether, of course. Players should still consider the Ether’s better uses such as using it on Reconstructors and the Cthonos. The artifact simply gives them more reason to collect more of it.
Returnalcame out on the PS5 on June 29, 2025. It became available to download and play on PC on June 30, 2025.
