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It’s fair for even an expert gamer to make the mistake of getting some great armor and weapons but then forget about a unique system to this game. V can augment various skills, abilities, and weapons with cybernetics, possibly even picking up a few new moves in the process! If V isn’t making regular trips to the Viktor or other friendly ripperdocs, then enemies will have the advantage in every skirmish. So go out there, find the very best cybernetics in Cyberpunk 2077, and make V a champion of the underworld.
Updated on February 19th, 2022 by Hodey Johns: Despite a disastrous launch and first few months, Cyberpunk 2077 is doing everything it can with Patch 1.5 to earn a second chance. Players are coming back to the game, trying it out, and finding many mends to their disappointments. Broken and glitched missions have been repaired. Underdeveloped romance stories have been fleshed out better. But, most importantly, the gameplay has been balanced and brought back from boredom with new items and changes to existing items. Tracking down all the items has been tough, but this list should now have the latest and greatest cyberware mods.
Frontal Cortex - Slot 1 - Heal-On-Kill
Instantly restores 10% health after defeating an enemy.
If players are looking to capitalize on some improved romance options, they’ll need to be alive first. Defense is all well and good, but how about converting offense to defense? This cyberware will make it so kills grant lifesteal.
This is also a handy way to heal back to full while mopping up the last few targets of a firefight. While natural regeneration sputters out, killing the last few goons at a location will likely push most players back to full health, eliminating the need to do so much maintenance between gigs.
Where To Find The Heal-On-Kill
The Ripperdoc in Northside, Watson has one for sale.
Frontal Cortex - Slot 2 - Limbic Enhancement System
Increases crit chance by 25%.
Of course, V’s first choice will be to not get spotted when hanging out in a fresh, new apartment. But if battle is imminent, it’s best to end the combat as soon as possible, and a 25% extra crit chance is a good way of accomplishing that.
Almost every other benefit like this gives some kind of qualification like, “with sniper rifles” or “when undetected.” This mod is legendary in rarity and effect; players who use any kind of weapon will quickly see why this is considered best-in-slot for every build.
Where To Find The Limbic Enhancement System
The Ripperdoc in Japantown, Westbrook has one for sale.
Frontal Cortex - Slot 3 - Visual Cortex Support
Increases crit damage by 45%.
Changing V’s cybernetics will alter how V looks, but it’s worth it to tackle tough bosses and cyberpsychos. Boosting crit damage by almost 50% is exactly what makes high-threat targets easier to manage in the game.
At some point, players who have been meticulous about their builds will be landing headshots and critical hits more often than not. This mod makes the most of these hits and it’s not even that expensive; mods much weaker than this can cost more than a brand new car!
Where To Find The Visual Cortex Support
The Ripperdoc in West Wind Estate, Pacifica has one for sale.
Other Frontal Cortex Options
The frontal cortex, unfortunately, forces players to commit to using weapons or hacking as their primary offensive output. The cyberware listed above assumes that players are using a weapons build, which is going to be more common. However, those committed to hacking, even when bullets come raining down, have better options.
Memory Boost: +3 RAM when defeating an enemy. RAM Upgrade: Generate 0. 15 RAM per second. Ex-Disk: Adds 5 to the max RAM sticks.
Ocular System - Kiroshi Optics Mark 3
Enhances V’s vision. Has three mod slots.
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It’s hard to predict what is around the corner for V, who often has to play on opposite for groups like Netwatch and the Voodoo Boys. Improving the ocular system increases how many mods can be equipped, which will help in any unpredictable scenario.
As a player, the screen does not effectively change, so the “enhances your vision” description is purely for flavor. V, however, will get the advantage of adding three slots, which is an advantage that any build should utilize.
Where To Find The Kiroshiu Optics Mark 3
The Ripperdoc in Little China, Watson has one for sale.
Other Ocular System Options
Sadly, only one kind of ocular upgrade exists at this time. There are lower levels of the Kiroshi Optics (Mark 1 and Mark 2) available for those who need to pinch their eddies.
Circulatory System - Slot 1 - Biomonitor
Instantly restores 100% health when V’s health drops below 15%. 2-minute cooldown.
When falling off of a cliff, there is a trick to prevent all fall damage. But what about all of those other fatal experiences? V is going to love this monitor that prevents death at low health.
One might expect such a perk to function once and then fry out, requiring a replacement, but this actually works on a two-minute cooldown. That averages to about once per fight, giving near invincibility to even the sloppiest of gamers.
Where To Find The Biomonitor
The Ripperdoc at the mobile camp in the desert has one for sale.
Circulatory System - Slot 2 - Second Heart
Revives V if health is fully depleted. 2-minute cooldown.
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Mods make the game’s graphics look even better. But is that always a good thing? Does anybody want to see V get surgery to have a second heart installed with high resolution? It is worth it to go under the knife, though, because no upgrade can compete with V’s ability to come back from the grave every two minutes.
Think about this in conjunction with the Biomonitor; these two combine to prevent V from dying twice in every fight. Getting three total chances to get the battle right is excessive by any gaming standard. Even players who don’t plan on dying much should pick up the Second Heart just so they can focus all of their other efforts on dealing damage.
Where To Find The Second Heart
The Ripperdoc in Wellsprings, Heywood has one for sale.
Circulatory System - Slot 3 - Blood Pump
Activate to restore 90% of max health. 3-minute cooldown.
There is a set of consumables that every player should have on them at all times. But stopping to eat in the middle of combat to heal isn’t feasible. Healing for nearly V’s entire health bar can be done with the Blood Pump without stopping for a snack.
If players already have the Biomonitor and Second Heart, don’t feel bad about using this in between scenarios just to stay topped off. Waiting until this close to death is inadvisable and there are already two other perfect mods that accomplish that task passively.
Where To Find The Blood Pump
The Ripperdoc at the mobile camp in the desert has one for sale.
Other Circulatory System Options
All three of the options listed here prevent death. This is great for players who are pushing themselves, but those playing on easier settings or using console commands are probably looking for a little more output rather than safety. There are a few more gems in this category, particularly those who need extra stamina in melee builds.
Bioware Conductor: Decreases Cyberware cooldowns by 30%. Adrenaline Booster: Get 50% of V’s stamina back after defeating an enemy. Syn-Lungs: Increases stamina regeneration by 25.
Immune System - Slot 1 - Cataresist
Increases all resistances by 35%.
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If V stuffs an apartment full of burritos, there is no mod to help with the heartburn but some that can help with other resistances. There is a mod that negates all poison here, but a skill in the tree can fulfill that role. Plus, this is more versatile at protecting against all mediums of damage.
It requires fifteen cool points to use. If that seems excessive, please take a look at the list of useful mods instead. Three of them can eliminate all four status debuffs and they can all be equipped simultaneously. Still, this perk is great for those who want to save a few spots and just need some general survivability.
Where To Find The Cataresist
The Ripperdoc in Japantown, Westbrook has one for sale.
Immune System - Slot 2 - Pain Editor
Reduces all incoming damage by 10%.
Those who fail to romance Rogue will need to protect their wounded hearts. But what about more physical wounds? Again, this is a versatile choice that has no stipulations, it simply reduces all damage by 10% whether it’s from falling, fire, gunfire, or car accidents.
This can be very handy to those who are stacking armor and Armadillo mods. Enemy attacks will be forced to pierce through two layers of reduction before getting to V. Though 10% might not seem like much, by the end of the game, this will be the difference between life and death.
Where To Find The Pain Editor
The Ripperdoc in Japantown, Westbrook has one for sale.
Other Immune System Options
It might seem like nothing is better than getting immunity to a damage source, but there are choices in the Immune System catalog that beg to disagree. It’s possible to convert certain types of damage into advantages for V. There is also a specific upgrade that is core to melee damage builds.
Inductor: Getting shocked or affected by an EMP effect boosts armor by 50% instead of taking damage. Metabolic Editor: Getting poisoned restores 12% health per second instead of dealing damage. Sock-N-Awe: Getting hit has a 10% chance of dealing 20% max health damage to enemies around V.
Nervous System - Slot 1 - Synaptic Accelerator
Slows time by 50% for 4 seconds when V is detected. 1-minute cooldown.
This might seem like a stealthy pick, but it’s fantastic for those who love to rush in and attack as it allows them to kill everyone before they can holster their weapons. The controversial game’s great music sounds amazing when going in and out of slow motion.
While the melee players will love getting a few free licks in, this is still geared toward snipers, who will be able to get off an extra couple of headshots before anybody knows what hit them. Three enemies standing together? No way they live for four full seconds of live ammunition.
Where To Find The Synaptic Adapter
The Ripperdoc in Japantown, Westbrook has one for sale.
Nervous System - Slot 2 - Reflex Tuner
Slows time by 80% for 4 seconds when V’s health drops to 25%. 40-second cooldown.
Players will already be used to waiting around as the new metro train occasionally runs late. Forcing enemies to wait in combat is much more fun. This is another time dilation, but it procs when V almost dies, giving players an expanded chance to either retreat or finish off the opponents.
Slowing time by 80% is just as ridiculous as it sounds. Even cyberpsychos will look like they are underwater. In an arena setting, use this time to line up some perfect headshots to end the fight when things look like they’re getting ugly.
Where To Find The Reflex Tuner
The Ripperdoc in Japantown, Westbrook has one for sale.
Other Nervous System Options
Melee characters have a different set of choices for these two slots that will be better for them than the usual weapons builds.
Kerenzikov: Allows V to aim and shoot while dodging. Slows time down for 2. 5 seconds while blocking, aiming, or attacking during slides and dodges. Nanorelays: Increases duration of the Kerenzikov and the Sandevistan by 2 seconds. Neofiber: Increases mitigation by chance by 5% and strength by 10%.
Integumentary System - Slot 1 - Subdermal Armor
Increases armor by 200.
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Armor isn’t too big of a deal in the deal, but the sheer volume on this makes it impossible to resist. It translates to about five reduced damage from all bullets, which really adds up in battle. Maybe these kinds of powers are why the police refuse to give chase in the game.
Also, recall that armor can usually only be added via equipment or mods, so being able to sneak one in through cyberware is exponentially effective. Bosses will hit like feathers and their minions sometimes won’t be able to do any damage at all.
Where To Find The Subdermal Armor
The Ripperdoc in Kabuki, Watson has one for sale.
Integumentary System - Slot 2 - Optical Camo
Grants invisibility for 15 seconds. 1-minute cooldown.
A quick note here, this item has a very small chance to appear in the shop and, were it not for several screenshots, many believe it to be a myth. For those who hate playing the game of chance, enter Game.AddToInventory(“Items.OpticalCamoLegendary”,1) into the console commands and it will appear in V’s inventory.
At the game’s release, the complete invisibility function did not work, but a recent patch has fixed it. V can now grab somebody in melee in the middle of a crowd and nobody will be able to see who the assailant is. It’s a rather disturbing moment in the game for the NPCs who don’t see it coming.
Where To Find The Optical Camo
The Ripperdoc in Little China, Watson has one for sale.
Integumentary System - Slot 3 - Heat Converter
When affected by burn, instead of receiving damage from it, V instead deals 10% more damage.
There is another cybernetic for this spot that negates burn damage, but this does one better by converting any burn damage taken into 10% increased firepower for V. Being set on fire and surviving could be a reason the game needs more content warnings.
This is technically better than the mod or the skill that makes V immune to burn. Players will have to decide whether a 10% damage increase is worth it and if enough enemies are actually using fiery damage types. Regardless, it’s better to have too many options than too few.
Where To Find The Heat Converter
The Ripperdoc in Little China, Watson has one for sale.
Other Integumentary System Options
While these options are incredible and pro gamers might like them more, it’s much easier on the mind to simply eliminate certain damage types altogether and never think about them again. The Integumentary System has three slots, all of which can be used to erase three different kinds of damage for good.
Fireproof Coating: Grants full immunity against burn. Grounding Plating: Grants full immunity against shock. Supra-Dermal Weave: Grants full immunity against bleeding.
Operating Systems - Netwatch Netdriver Mk 5
11 Base RAM, 8 Buffer Size, 6 Slots Allows V to perform quickhacks on targets and devices while scanning. Offensive quickhacks can be uploaded to 3 targets within a 6-meter radius. Increases damage dealt by quickhacks by 30%. Increases cyberdeck RAM recovery rate by 9 units per minute. Increases quickhack spread distance by 60%.
There are lots of choices, even legendary choices here, but this one is the best in terms of RAM and combat capabilities. There are really useful mods that don’t come close to providing the number of boosts that this baby provides.
Players who enjoy playing the game through hacking might feel like they don’t get as many choices as the weapon-based builds, which is slightly true. However, each of these Cyberdecks comes with a suite that more than makes up for the lack of variety by delivering a total package of goodies. Indeed, all of these perks combine to make these builds just as valid as any other.
Where To Find The Network Netdriver Mk 5
The Ripperdoc in Wellsprings, Heywood has one for sale.
Other Operating Systems Options
There is one other tool that hackers are going to love. Ultimate quickhacks are the more overpowered moves in the game and the Cyberdeck has an option that allows V to double the targets these quickhacks hit. Builds that aren’t into hacking have some cool options that allow them to slow down time and amp up damage on use.
Tetratonic Rippler Mark 4: Ultimate quickhacks can spread once. The cost of ultimate quickhacks is reduced by 3. Upload time is reduced by 75%. All quickhacks have their cooldowns reduced by 45%. Dynalar Sandevistan: Activate to dilate time by 50% for 16 seconds. While active damage dealt and crit chance are both increased by 15%.
Skeleton - Slot 1 - Synaptic Signal Optimizer
Increases health by 60%.
Casually increasing health by 60% is an absurd value for a single cybernetic slot, it’s a must-have on harder difficulties and memorable side quests.
This mod will combine well with just about every mod other than enhanced regeneration and healing. The more health that enemies have to get through, the more firing away that V can do. With the right circulatory system pieces in place, V can take on the toughest modes in the game without ever having to sweat about finding cover.
Where To Find The Synaptic Signal Optimizer
The Ripperdoc in Charter Hill, Westbrook has one for sale.
Skeleton - Slot 2 - Titanium Bones
Increases carrying capacity by 60%.
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With the game being so stingy about giving out eddies, V will have to pawn off items just to make ends meet. Make sure to never leave anything behind with this 60% boost to carrying capacity. Getting extensive surgeries like these installed only makes players want to see Vic more often.
This is very important as completionists can easily beat every side gig and MCPD mission in the game and still not have enough money to buy the car and weapon collections. Frankly, everything that isn’t nailed down must be scavenged and sold. Leaving things behind due to lack of carrying capacity is a big no-no. Maybe replace this mod after buying everything, but it’s a must-have until that time comes.
Where To Find Titanium Bones
The Ripperdoc in Wellsprings, Heywood has one for sale.
Other Skeleton Options
Once again, melee builds are going to be in a completely different mindset when it comes to the Skeleton. With two slots, they’re able to increase their overall damage output by a substantial margin.
Microrotors: Increases melee weapon attack speed by 25%. Microvibration Generator: Increases melee weapon damage by 15%. Dense Marrow: Increases melee weapon damage by 25%, but increases stamina drain by 10%.
Hands - Smart Link
Enables the use of smart weapons. Increases chance for bullets to hit targets by 15%. Increases crit damage by 25%.
Players can’t use smart weapons at all without the right hands cybernetic, but even players who don’t plan on using a smart weapon will receive substantial bonuses from this item. Beginners will need to learn the value of these stats before understanding the power contained here.
Do not ignore the 15% boosted chance to hit a target and 25% increase in critical strike damage either. Smart weapons are great and weapons like Skippy will change even the most skeptical critic’s mind, but the buffs here speak for themselves with or without any smart weapons in the game.
Where To Find The Smart Link
The Ripperdoc in Little China, Watson has one for sale.
Other Hands Options
There aren’t many Hands cyberware options, but the other choice is a good one for players who favor power weapons over smart weapons.
Ballistic Coprossesor: Increases the chance that missed shots ricochet with power weapons. Ricocheted shots bounce an extra 2 times.
Arms - Projectile Launch System
Allows V to unleash various powerful projectiles, dealing various types of damage as well as causing explosions and applying status effects.
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There are three other melee options for this slot, but it’s perfectly acceptable to just use a bat or katana. Especially because this is the only method in the game of regularly firing missiles and it’s just as powerful as it sounds. Surprisingly, with all the fixes to the game’s many glitches and overpowered systems, the Projectile Launch System is still incredibly powerful.
These rockets are homing and many gamers believed they were going to be nerfed. Yet the latest patches have actually buffed them and removed their tendency to home in on civilians. By eliminating friendly fire, any player that wants to blast through the game with explosive rockets is more than capable of doing so.
Where To Find The Projectile Launch System
The Ripperdoc in Wellsprings, Heywood has one for sale.
Other Arms Options
All three of the other arms choices are going to have advantages and disadvantages. Statistically, they’re all about equal, but they play a lot differently. Entire builds have been dedicated to them because of how much they alter the game, so feel free to experiment with each one.
Gorilla Arms Mantis Blades Monowire
Legs - Reinforced Tendons
Enables double jumping.
Double jumping gets V to hard-to-reach access points and weapons caches, but even without that, it’s a lifesaver for those who fall off of a building. V can jump before hitting the earth and avoid taking fall damage. Unpopular opinions about the game exist, but most recognize that this is the best cyberware for the slot.
There are other options here that sound a lot spicier. But, in practice, the ability to get more places with an easy-to-use double jump is better than any of the other flashy but negligible advantages to the leg cybernetics.
Where To Get Reinforced Tendons
The Ripperdoc in Little China, Watson has one for sale.
Other Legs Options
Stealthy characters have a choice for the Legs slot that allows them to be more mobile without getting detected, so spies and snipers that plan on moving in the shadows will want to switch it up here.
Lynx Paws: V makes 50% less noise while moving.
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