Atomic Heart: How to Use Cartridge Guns

Atomic Heart takes a nuanced approach when it comes to upgrading weapons to deal elemental damage by introducing a separate mechanic called Cartridge Guns. 

Besides the energy guns, every other weapon in Atomic Heart comes with a Cartridge Gun slot that players can unlock to use different elemental Cartridges to inflict elemental damage on enemies. 

In this guide, we will explain how you can unlock Cartridge Guns for a weapon in Atomic Heart while discussing how to craft and use the different Cartridges during combat. 

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How to Unlock Cartridge Guns Slot In Atomic Heart

In Atomic Heart, you can unlock the Cartridge Guns slot upgrade using the Nora vending machine. Once you are near a Nora machine, interact with it and follow the below steps:

• Select the first option; [Each time you interact with Nora, the dialogues will change, but the options hold the same purpose] 
• Click on the Upgrade tab;

• Select the weapon for which you want the Cartridge Guns upgrade;

• Hover over the Cartridge Guns upgrade and craft a Basic or Level 1, 2, 3, or 4 upgrade. 

Doing so will unlock the Cartridge Guns slot. Now, all you need is a Cartridge to use. 

How to Craft Cartridge Guns in Atomic Heart

You can craft Cartridge Guns in Atomic Heart via the Nora machine. All you need to do is interact with Nora, select the first option, and then navigate to the Cartridge Guns tab. 

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Select the Cartridge Gun you want to craft. You will have the following options:

• Ice Cartridge 
• Fire Cartridge 
• Electric Cartridge 

Granted, you have the respective Cartridge Guns recipe; you can craft it in exchange for a few resources. 

How to Use Cartridge Guns in Atomic Heart

Once you have a Cartridge Guns upgrade slot unlocked and have crafted yourself a Cartridge, you can equip the respective weapon and press the following button to use Cartridge Guns:

• On PC: Press the Middle Mouse button. 
• On Xbox: Press and hold the X button, hover over the Cartridge you want to use, and press the RT button. 
• On PlayStation: Press and hold the Square button, hover over the Cartridge you wish to use, and press the R2 button. 

That concludes our guide on how to get and use Cartridge Guns in Atomic Heart. 

Atomic Heart is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. For more news, guides, and features, check out our section dedicated to the game.