Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming

Psychonauts 2: How to use the Thought Tuner

By

Psychonauts 2 features a brief main storyline, but its world is loaded with collectibles that’ll keep you playing for 30-plus hours to hit 100% completion. If you’re one of the dedicated few hoping to achieve that goal, you’ll need to learn how to acquire and use the Thought Tuner.

This handy device can help you reach previously inaccessible locations and reach some of the trickiest collectibles in the entire game. Here’s what you need to know about the Thought Tuner — from where to find it to how to use it and why you’ll want to add it to your arsenal as soon as possible.

Further reading

Recommended Videos

Where to find the Thought Tuner in Psychonauts 2

Otto Mentalis behind his desk in Psychonauts 2.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

To find the Thought Tuner, you’ll need to run through the first few hours of the Psychonauts 2 main story and unlock the Quarry location. This is found just outside the Motherlobe, and you’ll automatically be introduced to it through normal gameplay — if you’re tackling the main missions, there’s no chance of missing it.

With the Quarry unlocked, move toward the edge of the platform in front of you and look to your right. Out in the distance across the pond, you’ll see Otto’s laboratory. This is where you’ll need to go to unlock the Thought Tuner and — thankfully — it’s an easy location to reach. As you approach the edge of the platform that holds the Motherlobe, a walkway will rise out of the water below and give you access to Otto’s lab.

Once inside, speak with Otto, who is located behind the front desk. Ask if he has any gear or gadgets that you can use, and he’ll hand you both the Otto-Shot and Thought Tuner.

How to use the Thought Tuner

Raz using Thought Tuner in Psychonauts 2.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Thought Tuner is used to detect stray thoughts in the real world and cannot be used while inside your colleagues’ brains. That means you’ll be limited to using it in locations such as the Motherlobe and Quarry.

Despite its geographic limitations, the Thought Tuner is a remarkably useful device. To equip it, press the Left D-Pad — or hold T on PC — and Raz will start walking around slowly with the Thought Tuner held in front of him.

With the Thought Tuner out, listen carefully for a faint beep — this will indicate a nearby stray thought. From there, it’s a simple game of Hot and Cold. The closer you get to the thought, the faster and louder the beeping will become. Get close enough, and you’ll uncover a stray thought, which will create Thought Bubbles that can be used to reach a new part of the map.

If you’re trying to reach 100% completion in Psychonauts 2, it’s important to pick up the Thought Tuner as soon as possible. This will save you from having to backtrack to previous locations, as dozens of collectibles are hidden away in areas only accessible after using the Thought Tuner.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Jon Bitner
Jon Bitner
Jon Bitner is a writer covering consumer electronics, technology, and gaming. His work has been published on various websites…
S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2: Heart of Chornobyl: release date predictions, trailers, gameplay

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is the next hotly anticipated entry in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. franchise. The game is releasing over 13 years after the last entry in the series, and it's making its debut on consoles as an Xbox Series X exclusive.

Developer GSC Game World was forced to delay this title after the Russian invasion of Ukraine began and uprooted the team's lives. Despite the hardships and tragedy every member of the team no doubt suffered, and all the sacrifices they made, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl was not abandoned and the team pushed on to continue developing the game.

Read more
Helldivers 2: all Boosters and how to get them
A scene from Helldiver 2's opening cutscene.

Building up your character and being a team player is critical in Helldivers 2. A mission is doomed from the start if you only look out for yourself, but you might be overlooking an easy way to give yourself and your squad some extra support. Boosters are just one of the many ways to customize your trooper, but perhaps one of the most important.

These aren't handed out automatically, so if you don't know how to get them or, even more importantly, what they do, you are putting yourself at a needless disadvantage. We're here to train you on all the Boosters in Helldivers 2 and how to get and equip them for your next mission.
All Boosters in Helldivers 2

Read more
How to use an external hard drive on PS5
Two versions of the PS5 side by side.

The PlayStation 5 is a remarkable system, but it doesn't come with much storage space. Breaking from the 1TB the Xbox Series X offers, the PS5 only offers 825GB. Worse, after accounting for the storage space the PS5 takes up by default, users are left with just over 650GB of space. Thankfully, you can use external storage to expand your space, and in this guide, we're going to show you how to use an external hard drive on PS5.
How to use an external HDD or SSD on PS5

Before you can use an external hard drive on PS5, you need to make sure it's compatible. It doesn't matter if your external drive is a hard disk drive (HDD) or solid-state drive (SSD), you can use it on PS5 as long as it uses USB 3.0 or later. USB 2.0 external hard drives won't work. Because they won't work, you'll need to connect your external hard drive to one of the two USB-A ports on the back of the PS5. The USB-A port on the front is only rated for USB 2.0, so it won't work. Also, plug the drive directly into a console (don't use a USB hub or extension cable).

Read more