How Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom's Zonai Device Dispensers Really Work

Some fans felt concerned after discovering that "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom" contained a gacha machine mechanic. After all, titles like "Genshin Impact" frequently require players to shell out loads of cash to win their favorite characters. With "Tears of the Kingdom" already a hit with critics, fans hesitant to pick up the game might still be wondering how big of an issue the gacha mechanic will be. Thankfully, Zonai Device Dispensers don't require players to spend any real-world money, but they do take a little patience to get familiar with.

Zonai Devices allow Link to perform incredible feats and build miraculous machines in "Tears of the Kingdom," but to obtain them, Link must find currency to purchase them from the dispenser machines scattered throughout the world. These charges look like little balls of lightning and can be found in piles of loot around Hyrule. Link can obtain charges by opening treasure chests, defeating certain enemies, or simply exploring the map and discovering new constructs to fight. Once acquired, the charges can be fed to the dispenser, awarding Link with a new Zonai Device. The next step will look familiar to any gachapon fan.

The Zonai Dispenser spits out encapsulated devices that Link can save and use to form constructs using his new Ultrahand and Fuse powers. While the devices are still safely sealed in their bubbles, Link can pick up and store the items for later use, but once opened there's no going back. Open items must be used immediately or left in the wilderness to rot.

Like any good gachapon machine, there's no guarantee what Link will receive from the Zonai Dispensers, but the machines do offer a discount of sorts for players looking to unload multiple charges at a time. Gamers can use up to five Zonai Charges to power the dispenser, earning them a whopping 12 devices. One charge will grant players one device, while two earns them three devices and three awards five devices. Talk about a discount! 

Each Zonai Dispenser has a different stock of options, but all of the devices encourage creative construction. Players' best bet when dealing with the Zonai Dispensers is to maximize their potential by using five charges at a time — or even a Large Zonai Charge.

But what if players are getting the same old portable stove over and over again? It's important to unlock new Zonai Dispensers, which open up new Zonai Devices as well. Each Dispenser has a different set of Devices assigned to it, so Link will have to visit them all to get the most out of the machines. Each dispenser has a variety of five different Zonai Devices, and many can be discovered by simple exploration. Worried about forgetting which machine carries what device? Thankfully, after discovering each Dispenser, Link's map will list what devices it provides — as well as how many of those devices Link already has in his inventory.

The Zonai Device Dispensers may seem like an intimidating gachapon at first, but they're really a fun way to encourage exploration and creativity in "Tears of the Kingdom." With all of the devices at Link's disposal, there's no telling what players can create.