¶ Research
Research is a section of the game unlocked once the first Data Lab is acquired in a playthrough. Research allows the player to permanently unlock new nodes and powerful upgrades throughout their progression.
Your first Data Lab is unlocked with a purchase in the the Upgrades Menu for $1.00e8. If Additional Data Lab is purchased in the Portal, you have immediate access to Data Labs.
¶ Generation
Research is a currency that is generated by consuming files in a Data Lab. Data Labs generate Research based on the file type and quality. Unlike Uploaders, Data Labs consume files at a specified rate measured in files per second as opposed to bits per second for the Uploader. It is vital to pick the correct file type for the situation.
Use the file type that can fill your Data Labs with at least 50% of your Data Lab's throughput capacity.
Research Yield per File Type
| File Type | Yield |
|---|---|
 Text |
1 |
 Image |
2 |
 Sound |
4 |
 Video |
8 |
 Program |
16 |
 Game |
32 |
¶ Modifiers
Quality impacts Research yields. Value modifiers have no effect on research yields. Refer to the table below for relevant research modifiers.
Positive Modifiers
| Modifier | Description |
|---|---|
| Refined | Research Yield 2x |
| Analyzed | Research Speed 2x |
| Enhanced[1] | Quality x2, Size 2x |
| Decrypted | Quality 4x |
Negative Modifiers
| Modifier | Description |
|---|---|
| Encrypted | Quality = 0, Unmodifiable |
| AI | Value 2,000,000x, Quality 0.1x |
[1] This modifier can be stacked up to 3x with Research Tree unlocks.
Avoid consuming encrypted and AI files for research use. Once files are decrypted they become excellent for research. AI generated files are generally avoided for research purposes.
¶ Breach Government
Utilizing Hack Power to Breach Government will yield Government Intel which can be spent to increase Research Yield and Speed. Government Intel provides an avenue for Research Scaling far into end-game.
¶ Research Tree
The Research Tree is available once you've collected Research. Research can be spent to unlock permanent upgrades. Each upgrade will typically unlock new nodes, new processes, and new tactics to accelerate income growth.
The Portal prestige mechanic can be unlocked via the Research Tree at a cost of 1.00e09 Research.
¶ Research Tree Upgrades
¶ Network Upgrades
| Network | Cost |
|---|---|
| Network Merging | 3.00e02 |
| Network Exchanger | 4.00e03 |
| Torrents I | 5.70e08 |
| Torrents II | 2.85e11 |
| Torrents III | 1.43e14 |
| Torrents IV | 7.13e16 |
| Torrent Filter | 1.30e12 |
| Zipped Torrents | 2.30e16 |
| Encrypted Torrents | 4.30e18 |
| Decryption | 5.00e18 |
| Server | 1.00e24 |
¶ Processor Upgrades
| Processor | Cost |
|---|---|
| Parallelism | 2.00e01 |
| Checksum Validation | 8.00e01 |
| File Reconstruction | 3.00e03 |
| Data Refinement | 1.00e03 |
| File Operations | 2.00e05 |
| Double Compression | 1.00e08 |
| Double Enhancement | 1.00e08 |
| Triple Compression | 1.00e12 |
| Triple Enhancement | 1.00e12 |
| Pre-analysis | 9.00e06 |
| Decomposition | 5.60e11 |
| Decompiler | Free with Decomposition |
| Decomposer | 4.50e13 |
| Demuxer | 5.10e15 |
| Scrapper | 5.70e17 |
| Ripper | 6.40e19 |
| Zipping | 1.00e16 |
¶ GPU Upgrades
| GPU | Cost |
|---|---|
| Scheduling | 6.00e02 |
| GPU Manager | 1.40e03 |
| Bitcoin Mining | 1.00e04 |
| Ethereum Mining | 1.00e06 |
| Token Mining | 1.00e10 |
| Artificial Intelligence | 1.00e12 |
| Data Distillation | 1.50e13 |
| Large Language Model | 1.00e12 |
| Diffusion | 1.00e14 |
| Vocoder Network | 1.00e16 |
| Video Transformation | 1.00e18 |
| Program Synthesis | 1.00e20 |
| Procedural Simulation | 1.00e22 |
| Artificial General Intelligence | 4.60e24 |
¶ Portal Upgrades
| Portal | Cost |
|---|---|
| Portal | 1.00e09 |
¶ Hacking Upgrades
| Hacking | Cost |
|---|---|
| Hacking | 5.00e04 |
| Corporation Breaching | 2.50e04 |
| Government Breaching | 5.00e05 |
| Bank Breaching | 7.00e06 |
| Trojans | 2.70e05 |
| Infection Damage | 2.00e06 |
| Injection | 8.50e10 |
| Split Attack | 1.60e14 |
| Chain Injection | 7.10e17 |
| Breach Skill I | 4.00e07 |
| Breach Skill II | 2.00e10 |
| Breach Skill III | 1.00e13 |
| Breach Skill IV | 5.00e15 |
| Breach Skill V | 2.50e18 |
¶ Coding Upgrades
| Coding | Cost |
|---|---|
| Coding | 1.00e08 |
| Build Tools | 1.00e08 |
| Debugging | 1.90e10 |
| Optimizations | 1.00e09 |
| Applications | 1.00e11 |
| Drivers | 1.00e14 |
| Code Optimizations | 1.60e13 |
| Double Optimizations | 3.30e15 |
| Triple Optimizations | 1.10e18 |
¶ Overclock Upgrades
| Overclock | Cost |
|---|---|
| Overclocking | 4.00e14 |
| Cooling | 1.00e15 |
¶ Factory Upgrades
| Factory | Cost |
|---|---|
| Modular Components | 1.00e19 |
| Hardware Assembly | 8.00e19 |
| Wafer Cutting | 1.40e21 |
| Soldering | 1.40e21 |
| Wafer Synthesis | 6.70e22 |
| Milling | 6.70e22 |
| Polymerization | 6.70e22 |
| Silicon Purification | 5.40e24 |
| Stamping | 5.40e24 |
| Oil Refining | 5.40e24 |
¶ Multiple Choice Unlocks
Both Breach Skills and Torrents have multiple levels that can be purchased. Each purchase of these generates a special limited use currency that can unlock a specific Breach Skill or Torrent respectively.
| Breach Skills |
|---|
| Ghost Attack |
| Infect Payload |
| Spread Infection |
| Charged Attack |
| Critical Payload |
| Torrents |
|---|
| VirusFree Torrents |
| Infected Torrents |
| IntegriMAX Torrents |
| Labs Torrents |
¶ Advanced Research
Visit the Portal Guide for more in-depth information.
Advanced Research is unlocked in the Research Tree once the Portal research has been purchased for 1.00e09 Research and can be spent to unlock permanent upgrades. Each upgrade will typically provide powerful boosts to Hardware, Research, Hacking, and Coding or provide Quality of Life benefits.
Advanced Research purchases in the Portal Tree provides an avenue for Research Scaling far into end-game via Portal Unlocks.
¶ AGI
Visit the AGI Hub for more in-depth information.
AGI is unlocked in the Research Tree once the AGI research has been purchased for 4.60e24 Research. AGI, once fed with properly ratioed files, will provide powerful boosts for Research, Hacking, and Coding.
AGI provides an avenue for Research Scaling far into end-game via Research Boost.
¶ List of Research Nodes
Components
Research
Functions
¶ List of Research Resources
Core Resources
AGI
