The Star Wars Outlaws lockpicking and Data Spike system is a kind of rhythm game where the you have to match the beep timings that your lockpick device is making to open things. Despite being a simple idea, it can be surprisingly fiddly to get right. Especially when there's a guard around the corner about to find you.
There are ways to make the process easier in though. If you want some help with the data spike lockpick in Star Wars Outlaws, we'll explain the basics and lay out some tips to smooth the process out.
How to lockpick in Star Wars Outlaws
Data Spike lockpicking in Star Wars Outlaws is solved by pressing R2/RT in time with a short, looping, rhythmic sequence. Hitting every beat of the sequence in one go opens the lock but missing a beat resets it, so you must re-enter the sequence. Thankfully, there's no limit to the number of attempts you get per lock, so you can keep trying until you succeed, unlike the comparable Star Wars Outlaws hacking minigame. Just be careful if you're in syndicate territory as being caught while picking a lock is something that can affect your Faction reputation in Star Wars Outlaws
Each lock's sequence is shown via a synchronized flashing light on the lock module, the movement of lock's pin, the sound of the lock mechanism, the red light on the back of Kay's Data Spike, and vibrations if you're using a controller in Star Wars Outlaws.
The very first lock you'll probably open will just be a relatively slow and regular two-beat sequence, but the difficulty ramps up as you're introduced to sequences that are three or four beats long, faster, and have a more irregular timing. Although there aren't any upgrades or Star Wars Outlaws Experts and Abilities that make dataspiking easier, there are several settings you can adjust if you want to breeze through it.
Star Wars Outlaws lockpicking tips
- Turn on the visual aid to help you with the timing: You can toggle a user-interface aid that helps you see the beats of the puzzle with a pulsing white ring.
- Change difficulty settings: Under the Minigames section of the Gameplay settings menu, you can change lockpicking difficulty to easy, which makes the beat timing less strict.
- Turn it off entirely: Also in the Minigames settings section, you can turn off the lockpicking rhythm challenge entirely. All you need to do is press R2/RT until the lock opens.
Remember, be aware that NPCs can still spot you while you’re picking locks, so make sure your surroundings are empty before you start data spiking, though you can look around while picking a lock to ensure the coast is still clear.
Ultimately what you want to keep in mind is that this lockpicking system is inherently fiddly and not hugely precise, as we explained in our Star Wars Outlaws review. It'll take some time to get used to it, though eventually it will settle for you.
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