On each of the five planets of the Outer Wilds solar system is a member of Outer Wilds Ventures. They can be found on their respective planets playing an instrument, which can be heard anywhere in the solar system with the Signalscope. Keen players may notice, despite being on different planets, all the members are playing their instruments in rhythm with each other. And if the planets are aligned, the player can hear them all at once and be rewarded with the “Harmonic Convergence” achievement.
The Signalscope is used to locate different frequencies around the solar system for navigational purposes, like following quantum fluctuations to find the Outer Wilds' Quantum Moon. The player can use the frequencies of the different instruments to help them locate a certain planet or the Outer Wilds Ventures member playing the instrument. Each member can give insight into the planet they are currently on or on the general mysteries of the solar system.
While the music can be used as a navigational tool, the player may just want to listen to all the members playing together, or perhaps they are achievement hunting. It is possible for the player to stand on one of the planets, point their Signalscope at the sun, and wait for the planets to align. However, there is a much quicker strategy to achieving “Harmonic Convergence,” involving traveling to the edge of the solar system.
Aligning the Five Instruments in Outer Wilds
There are five frequencies in Outer Wilds: Chert’s drums, Gabbro’s flute, Riebeck’s banjo, Feldspar’s harmonica, and Esker’s whistling. They can be found on Ember Twin, Giant’s Deep, Brittle Hollow, Dark Bramble, and Attlerrock, respectively. Something the player should note is that Feldspar’s harmonica can be heard on Timberhearth and Dark Bramble. The reason for this is the Dark Bramble seed that has crash-landed on Timberhearth. This can make it easier to get all the frequencies at once since Attlerock and Timberhearth are right next to each other, making it unnecessary for Dark Bramble to be in alignment.
The quickest option for the player to achieve “Harmonic Convergence” in Outer Wilds is by flying far enough away from the planets so they will be able to hear all five frequencies without needing the planets to be aligned. The quickest way to the edge of the solar system is through the black hole in the center of Brittle Hollow, which will teleport the player to the White Hole Station. Timberhearth, the player’s starting planet, and Brittle Hollow are fairly close to each other at the beginning of a cycle, so it is recommended the player go straight to Brittle Hollow after waking up.
The planet’s surface will be mostly intact at the beginning of a cycle, so the quickest way under the surface is by the crashed Nomai escape pod. The player can use their Signalscope to track the escape pod’s distress signal if they are having difficulty locating it. Behind the pod will be a ravine with wooden platforms along its sides. With some basic experience and learning the tricks to well-controlled flying, the player can maneuver their ship past the surface of Brittle Hollow where its black hole sits. The player just has to go into the black hole, and they will appear on the other side at the white hole on the edge of the solar system.
From here, the player must orient themselves towards the sun and fly backward, getting further from the Outer Wilds solar system. The player may need to deactivate their ship’s autopilot which will try to bring them back into the solar system if they travel out too far. Once as far as they can go, the player can take out their Signalscope and align the music frequencies. They may have to wait for the planets to be a little closer together, but the planets do not need to be stacked on top of each other for the player to receive the achievement. So long as all five frequencies can be heard at the same time, the player will have achieved “Harmonic Convergence.”
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Outer Wilds is currently available for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One