Written by The Satisfactory 1.1 Update is the initial major content addition since the game’s release in its final form in September 2024.
After five and a half years in early access, the update will have new features, gameplay changes, and tweaks, and it has been touted as a turning point for the factory-building simulation game. The update will launch on the experimental branch on April 1, 2025.
One of the 1.1 update’s high points is its improved photo mode. This photo mode comes with adjustable camera motion, filters, character position, and depth-of-field, which allows the players to take in-game shots. The teaser trailer of the update itself was done purely using this updated photo mode.
Transportation in Satisfactory will be improved with Hypertube upgrades. These consist of three-way junctions where players can switch direction during travel by the press of a button, and branch connectors for secondary routing paths.
The new update adds fresh logistics options like vertical splitters and mergers that can be installed right on lifts. Players also get to control pipeline item flow with priority mergers that have adjustable input levels.
Curved pipes and belts are being implemented to enable cleaner designs and more creative layouts. This addition responds to long-time logistical issues in factory configurations.
Multiple-floor, customizable elevators are being introduced. Players are able to label each floor and customize button icons and colors for convenient use. These elevators are player-accessible and are not vehicle-compatible.
The patch also includes an assortment of new architectural components including beams (rivets, ridges, round designs), vents, garage doors, storage stackable shelves, and square windows. The features give players aesthetic and practical choices in the construction of their bases.
Railway buffer stops are added to avoid derailment along with better left-handed rail signals. These updates should enhance train systems’ safety and efficiency.
Miscellaneous Improvements:
- Better drone pathing.
- Conveyor wall holes to improve logistics integration.
- Vertical nudging tools to precisely place objects.
- A “no fuel” cheat option for build testing.
- Improved animations for crash sequences and dismantle actions.
The 1.1 update will also add support for controllers, a big move toward console support. Coffee Stain Studios confirmed that console versions of Satisfactory have been pushed back to later in 2025.
The studio wants to make feature parity between the PC and console releases a priority beginning with the 1.1 update.
A once-mentioned rain system has been delayed because the upgrade of Unreal Engine to be able to accommodate it is so complex. Coffee Stain Studios intends to work on this feature again after console release.
Satisfactory’s experimental branch will be getting the 1.1 update on April 1, 2025. As for when its stable channel rollout is confirmed, no timeline is available, but players can be sure that a thorough testing will precede its complete rollout.
Top 5 Updates in Satisfactory 1.1 Update
1. Revamped Photo Mode
The new photo mode in the Satisfactory 1.1 update is an important feature that enables players to take amazing shots of their constructions.
This option is intended to offer a artistic experience, and it enables players to display their factory designs, landscapes, and adventures in an extremely personalized manner.
The camera can now be moved freely in three dimensions, and this provides a variety of angles and views. This freedom allows for shots, ranging from sweeping views of vast factories to close-up details of machinery and buildings.
The depth of field function provides players with the ability to determine what areas of the image are clear and what is out of focus. The effect can be utilized to highlight certain aspects of the landscape like a specific structure or machinery.
Multiple filters and presets exist that can heighten the mood and look of the images being taken. They may vary from bold colors to muted tones, with each of them providing a visual feel that can reflect the player’s creative vision or the mood of the scene.
Players can pose their characters in different manners, personalizing the photographs. The feature supports storytelling aspects, wherein players can show their characters engaging with the surroundings or the machinery in a meaningful manner.
The 1.1 update teaser trailer was completely customized using the new photo mode. The trailer featured stunning, cinematic views of factories, landscapes, and characters.
2. Hypertube Upgrades
The Hypertube upgrades in the Satisfactory 1.1 update is a major addition to the game’s transport system that helps increase player mobility and optimize factory logistics.
The new feature is the addition of three-way junctions for Hypertubes. Players can use these junctions to alter direction while in transit by pushing a button. This makes navigating complicated networks of tubes easier to do, especially when trying to cover large distances without having to leave the tube.
Branch connectors permit players to make additional routing alternatives throughout the Hypertube system. This minimizes travel times and maximizes productivity between destinations within the map or factory parts by providing alternate paths.
The availability of more than one route optimizes routes depending on player requirements and plant setup.
The capability to change direction inside the tube and employ branch connectors saves considerable travel time. Players can rapidly travel between various parts of their factory or around the map without the necessity for a lot of walking or the use of vehicles.
The addition of three-way junctions and branch connectors makes it easier to set up and maintain complicated transportation systems. This makes the process less complicated when constructing extensive tube systems.
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3. Logistics Improvements
The logistics changes made in the Satisfactory 1.1 update are intended to make transportation of resources in the game more efficient and manageable. These changes tackle different logistical issues that players encounter while constructing and optimizing their factories.
Among the most important new additions is the inclusion of vertical splitters and mergers that can be used directly on lifts.
This new feature enables players to better manage resource flow through the ability to split or merge items at varying heights without the need for lengthy horizontal layouts. This vertical integration minimizes floor clutter in factories and enables more compact designs.
The update adds priority mergers, which enable players to manage the flow of items into a single output depending on pre-set levels of input. What this means is that players can designate some inputs as more important than others, so that necessary resources are given priority in production lines.
This is especially handy in advanced factories where several resources merge, such that resources can be managed optimally and efficiently.
A new dynamic conveyor belt throughput counter has also been introduced, showing the number of products transported every minute along conveyor belts.
The feature allows players to view real-time information on their logistics networks, so they can quickly identify bottlenecks and measure performance.
Through the ready availability of this data, players are better equipped to decide where in their factory design to make changes or alter output rates.
With vertical merges and splits, players are able to create more efficient production lines that are more space-efficient and have a high flow. This means that there is more flexibility in factory design and layout so that adjustments can be made more easily to changing manufacturing requirements.
The priority mergers allow players to have necessary resources available at all times for key manufacturing processes. By managing the flow of materials according to demand, players can minimize waste and maximize factory efficiency.
The belt throughput counter gives players data-driven insights into their logistics systems. Through tracking item flow, players can easily detect slowdowns or bottlenecks and take corrective measures to maximize productivity.
4. Curved Build Mode
The inclusion of Curved Build Mode within the Satisfactory 1.1 patch is an addition to the building dynamics of the game. The feature works to counteract some of the practical problems related to standard straight-line construction.
One of the important additions to the Curved Build Mode is the presence of curved pipes and conveyor belts. Players have the ability to design smooth bends in their conveyance systems instead of having only straight lines and abrupt turns.
The capability to add curves to factory blueprints adds to a more visually appealing setting. Players are able to design smoothly flowing routes that resemble natural environments. This freedom of creativity inspires players to be creative without compromising the functional designs.
Curving belts and pipes assist in reducing congestion and bottlenecks that inevitably arise at acute turns or intersections in conventional straight designs.
Players are able to sustain higher throughput levels and avoid interruptions in resource flow. This is useful in factories where several production lines overlap.
The incorporation of curves allows players to build their factories more flexibly, better accommodating the terrain and space available. Rather than being bound by linear stiff designs, players can make complex layouts that maximize the usage of space while continuing to facilitate efficient transportation of resources.
Players are prompted to try out a variety of different designs and constructions. This encourages players to be creative since players can test out novel configurations that were once hard or impossible to accomplish.
The more fluid transitions of curved belts and pipes ease the navigation of players through their factories. This easier navigation decreases frustration that comes with moving through systems.
Curved builds offer players more flexibility in using space, particularly in areas with complicated terrain or obstacles. Rather than needing to clear out big spaces for straight conveyor belts or pipes, players can work around obstructions using curves.
5. Personnel Elevators
The addition of personnel elevators in the Satisfactory 1.1 update is a major upgrade to vertical movement in the game. The elevators offer players a new method for traversing their large factories.
One of the high points of the personnel elevators is that they are highly customizable. Players have the option of customizing their elevators according to their factory’s style and functionality requirements.
This means being able to pick colors, setting button icons, and naming individual floors, creating a personalized aesthetic that is consistent with the player’s style and organizational preferences.
The personnel elevators provide the ability to link several floors in a factory, and the players can simply travel between the levels without any need for using stairs or ladders.
Such multi-floor movement is especially advantageous in big factories where the available vertical space is used for manufacturing lines, storages, or research centers.
Every elevator has an easy-to-use interface that enables players to choose their preferred floor easily. This easy-to-use design reduces the time spent moving between levels, allowing players to concentrate on constructing and optimizing their factories instead of being lost in complicated layouts.
It should be noted that these elevators are specifically intended for use by players and do not support vehicles. This design reflects the function of personnel elevators as a method of enabling player movement over transporting goods or machinery.
With the convenience of fast travel between floors, players are better able to handle multi-story factories. With greater mobility, players can access various production zones, research labs, or storage areas more rapidly.
The presence of personnel elevators prompts players to go vertical in their factory designs. Rather than spreading out horizontally, players can design efficient, space-saving layouts that make the most of vertical space.
By minimizing travel time between multiple levels of a factory, staff elevators are streamlining procedures. Players may readily monitor manufacturing lines, procure materials from varying floors, or modify settings without unwanted delays.
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