The Bioscanner is one of the most useful tools you'll craft in Subnautica 2. Without it, a large chunk of the game's Biomod system stays locked off, and you'll hit a wall trying to complete the early access campaign. Here's exactly where to find the blueprint, what you need to craft it, and why it matters.
Where is the Bioscanner blueprint?
The blueprint sits inside the Cicada Wreck (EVA Prep), a crashed Alterra starship located in the Power Plant Biome. The wreck is 1,785 meters at 105 degrees east from your first Lifepod. That's a meaningful journey, so plan your oxygen and supplies before heading out.
Before you go anywhere near this wreck, craft a Repair Tool. One of the internal doors is charred shut and completely impassable without it. Skipping this step means turning around empty-handed.
Cicada Wreck blueprint location
How do you navigate the Cicada Wreck?
The wreck entrance faces north. Once inside, take the doorway on the right and use your Repair Tool on the charred door blocking your path. Keep moving straight through the doors until you reach a room with suits mounted on the wall, then pass through the doorway on the opposite side.
You'll spot a table in the next room with a blackbox signal on it. Don't stop here. Look for a round hatch across from the table and drop down through it. Follow the piped corridor straight ahead until you reach a larger room with debris on one side. Cross to the other side where a hole with a red light marks the way forward.
Swim down from there and you'll find the Bioscanner sitting beside a charred door. That same door, once repaired, becomes your exit from the wreck. Scan the Bioscanner with your regular Scanner to unlock the blueprint.
How do you craft the Bioscanner?
Once you have the blueprint, head to your Modification Station to craft it. The Bioscanner is technically an upgrade to your existing Scanner, and the recipe reflects that. You need the Scanner itself as a component, along with two rarer materials.
Bioscanner crafting recipe
The Enameled Glass and Conduit Crystal are the materials that will slow you down if you haven't been gathering broadly. Conduit Crystal in particular requires 3 units, so start farming that before you reach the wreck.
Need help tracking down crafting materials and other tools? The Subnautica 2 scanner guide covering crafting and recipe unlocks has detailed breakdowns of what you need and where to find it.
You cannot craft the Bioscanner at a standard Fabricator. It specifically requires the Modification Station. If you haven't built one yet, that's your first stop.
What does the Bioscanner actually do?
The Bioscanner replaces your standard Scanner in the tool slot and does everything the regular Scanner does, but with one major addition: it can scan alien lifeforms and Axum technology to generate Biomods.
Biomods are permanent player enhancements that change how you interact with the ocean. Some detect nearby resources, others repel dangerous creatures, and a few affect core survival mechanics. None of them are accessible without the Bioscanner. The standard Scanner simply doesn't have the biological analysis capability.
The in-game description puts it plainly: the Bioscanner is a "modified survival tool" that "analyzes Axum technology and Protean biology to generate alien blueprints and biomods."
For a full breakdown of what each Biomod does and how to unlock them all, check out the complete Subnautica 2 Biomods guide.
The Bioscanner occupies a 1x1 inventory slot, identical to the standard Scanner. Swapping between them won't cost you any additional storage space.
What should you do after getting the Bioscanner?
Start scanning creatures immediately. Every alien lifeform you scan with the Bioscanner contributes toward unlocking Biomods, and some of the best ones require scanning specific fauna you'll encounter early. Don't wait until you need a particular Biomod to start working toward it.
The Bioscanner is also your key to completing the early access campaign's final objective. You'll need it to scan a broken turbine at the Alien Ruins before the Power Center can be activated. Treat getting the Bioscanner as a mid-game priority, not something to put off.
For everything else you need to progress, the full Subnautica 2 strategy guides collection covers base building, blueprint locations, Biobed Adaptations, and more in one place.