A Beginner’s Guide to Genshin Impact: Setup, Gameplay, Banners & More

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Make your way through Teyvat with this handy guide

Co-authored by Janice Tieperman

Last Updated: July 15, 2024 Fact Checked

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Installation & Setup

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Basic Gameplay

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How to Pull Characters & Weapons

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Battle System

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Essential Hints and Tricks

With its gorgeous visuals, stunning soundtrack, and mesmerizing characters and storyline, Hoyoverse’s Genshin Impact has made a name for itself since its release in September 2020. How can you get in on the fantastical fun, though? We’ve got you covered. Read on to learn all of the essentials of this open-world game, from installation and basic gameplay to the character/weapon banners and the game’s combat system. In no time at all, you’ll be ready to start uncovering all the secrets and wonders that Genshin Impact has to offer.

Things You Should Know

Download Genshin Impact from Hoyoverse’s website, the PlayStation store, App Store, or Google Play Store.
Complete activities like Archon, Story, and World Quests to gain XP and level up your Adventure Rank (AR). A higher AR unlocks new features in the game.
Use primogems to “pull” for new characters. Genshin uses a lottery-based system, so it might take some time to get the character you want.

Section 1 of 5:

Installation & Setup

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You need lots of storage to be able to install and play Genshin Impact. The universe of Genshin Impact has you traveling all over the world of Teyvat—a fantastical continent with over 7 distinct regions (that are being released gradually by the game developers). Since this is a game with high-quality graphics and tons of content, you’ll need to have a big chunk of storage space set aside on the device you plan to play on.^{[1]
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- As of June 2023, the PC download is nearly 73 GB, while the PlayStation download (for PS4 or PS5) is almost 71 GB. On phones and tablets, nearly 21 GB of storage space is needed for Genshin Impact.
- Genshin Impact is still a developing game with plenty of new features and locations in the works. As the game progresses, expect to set aside more and more storage space on your device to accommodate new updates.
- Did You Know? Genshin Impact offers both cross-platform and cross-save features. Cross-platform means that you can play the game with people on other devices (like a phone or console), while cross-save means that you can save your game progress over multiple devices (as long as you’re logged into the same Hoyoverse account on all your devices).^{[2]
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Visit the Genshin Impact homepage on your computer and select the Download button. Then, follow the onscreen installation instructions to finish setting up your game.

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Hoyoverse has never actually created a Mac version of Genshin Impact—the only way to play it is to install the Windows OSon a Mac. Once Windows OS is operational on your Mac, download the game directly from the Genshin Impact homepage.^{[3]
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Pull up the PlayStation store on your PS4 or PS5 and search for “Genshin Impact.” Hit “Add to Library” to download and install the game on your console.
Search for “Genshin Impact” in the App Store (if you have an iPhone or iPad) or the Google Play Store (if you have an Android device). Hit Install to download the game to your phone or other mobile device.

Section 2 of 5:

Basic Gameplay

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Complete a variety of quests to progress in the game to collect XP. Pull up the main game menu and tap the “Quests” button to see which quests are active in the game. Genshin Impact features 5 different types of quests—completing any variety will earn you XP, which helps you level up your Adventure Rank (AR):^{[4]
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- Archon Quests: Archon Quests are the bread and butter of Genshin’s core plotline, and help you progress through the game’s main storyline.
- Story Quests: Story Quests are character-based side quests that allow you to learn more about a specific character.
- Daily Commissions: Daily Commissions are 4 randomized, small-scale quests that you get each day when you log into the game. Completing these commissions is a valuable way to gain XP and in-game currency.
- World Quests: World Quests are interesting side quests that give you an opportunity to explore each region a little more (while getting to know some NPCs).
- Hangout Events: Hangout events give you 1-on-1 time with a specific character, similar to a dating simulator game. In these events, you essentially have virtual conversations/interactions with a specific character.^{[5]
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Level up your AR to unlock more features in the game. The higher your AR is, the more you can do in the game—starting at AR 10, for instance, players can input special in-game codes that can net them primogems and other rewards. Here are a few fun milestones to be on the lookout for:
- AR 16: Play Genshin Impact in Co-op mode with your friends.
- AR 20: Gain access to the Spiral Abyss, a series of dungeon-style challenges that earn you rewards.
- AR 26: Earn the ability to collect Story Keys, which unlock specific Story Quests.^{[6]
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Journey across different regions as you progress through the game. The basic plot of Genshin Impact revolves around the main character trying to find their twin sibling, who is captured and vanquished by an unnamed deity at the very beginning of the game. As you search for your sibling, you’ll journey across many regions and meet with the Archon (god) of each corresponding area. The regions you’ll eventually visit are:
- Mondstadt (ruled by the archon Barbatos)
- Liyue (ruled by Rex Lapis)
- Inazuma (ruled by the Raiden Shogun)
- Sumeru (ruled by the Lesser Lord Kusanali)
- Fontaine (ruled by Focalors and Neuvillette)
- Natlan (ruled by the God of War)
- Snezhnaya (ruled by the Tsaritsa)^{[7]
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Explore the world of Teyvat with teleport waypoints. Genshin Impact is an open-world game; in other words, it features an expansive map that you can explore on your own. As you journey through more and more of the map, take time to activate each of the teleport waypoints—these are teardrop-shaped symbols with a teal dot in the center. Interact with each waypoint to activate it; from then on, simply open up your map and tap on the teleport to switch locations quickly. You can also teleport to:
- Statues of the Seven: denoted by a large, light blue circle
- Domains or the Spiral Abyss: denoted by diamond-shaped icons^{[8]
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Section 3 of 5:

How to Pull Characters & Weapons

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“Pull” for characters and weapons using Fates. Tap on the “Wish” icon on the top of your in-game screen—this is an icon that resembles a sparkle. From there, hit the “Wish x1” or “Wish x10” button on your desired banner to receive a random character or weapon, or a random set of 10 characters and/or weapons. More common characters are ranked as “4-star,” and the rarest characters are ranked as “5-star.”^{[9]
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- Genshin Impact uses a “gacha” (lottery-based) system to unlock new characters or weapons. A single Wish (also known as a “pull”) costs 1 Acquaint Fate or Intertwined Fate, while 10 Wishes cost 10 Aquaint Fates or Intertwined Fates. Each Fate (both Acquaint or Intertwined) costs 160 primogems, with a 10-Fate pull costing 1600 primogems.
- Primogems can be earned for free throughout the game via different achievements and quests. They can also be bought with Genesis Crystals, a type of currency that you buy with real money. It costs around $3 to get a single wish, or $30 to buy a 10-Wish pull (though the game awards bonus crystals to players purchasing certain bundles for the first time).^{[10]
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- There are 3 different banners you can typically pull from: the Character Event Wish banner, which features a limited-edition 5-star character and 3 promoted 4-star characters; the Weapon Event Wish banner, which features weapons specifically; and the Wanderlust Invocation, a permanent banner that features the same pool of 4-star and 5-star weapons and characters.
- Intertwined Fates (the pink-colored Fates) can be used for the Character and Weapon Event Wish banners, while Acquaint Fates (the blue-colored Fates) can be used for the Wanderlust Invocation.^{[11]
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EXPERT TIP

Janice Tieperman
wikiHow Staff Writer
Janice is a professional and creative writer who has worked at wikiHow since 2019. With both a B.A. and M.A. in English from East Stroudsburg University, she has a passion for writing a wide variety of content for anyone and everyone. In her free time, you can find her working on a new crochet pattern, listening to true crime podcasts, or tackling a new creative writing project.

Janice Tieperman
wikiHow Staff Writer

"Consider buying a "Blessing of the Welkin Moon" for $4.99 as you save up for future character/weapon pulls rather than spending money upfront on Genesis Crystals. Over the course of 30 days, a Blessing of the Welkin Moon gives you 90 Primogems per day, totaling 2700 Primogems overall. This equals to about 16 wishes overall, which would cost over $30 to buy upfront with Genesis Crystals."
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The more you pull, the more likely you’ll get a 5-star character or weapon. Genshin Impact operates on a “Pity” system—the more unsuccessful (5-star-less) pulls you have, the greater chance the game will give you a 5-star character or weapon. You’re guaranteed to get a 5-star by your 90th pull, though there’s a smaller chance to successfully pull a 5-star before that point.^{[12]
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- The Event banners (for both Characters and Weapons) operate on a 50/50 rule—in other words, there’s a 50/50 chance that your guaranteed 5-star will be either the Event 5-star or one of the game’s default 5-stars. However, if you fail your first 50/50, you’re guaranteed to get the special Event 5-star on your second go-around (though this can, admittedly, take up to 180 total pulls).
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Fill out a character’s “constellation” when you pull duplicates of them. Once you pull a duplicate character, open up the main game menu and hit “Characters,” along with the head of the character you’d like to upgrade. Then, hit the constellation upgrade on the screen to enhance your character’s abilities. This can be done a total of 6 times (requiring 7 copies of the character overall).^{[13]
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- Getting a duplicate of a character gives you a Stella Fortuna, a special type of currency that can be used to upgrade a specific character’s constellation.
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The game gives you certain free characters. As you complete the Mondstadt Archon Quest (the very first set of Archon Quests in the game), you’ll automatically unlock 4-star characters Amber, Kaeya, Lisa, and Barbara who are all from Mondstadt, the first region explored in the game. You can also unlock Xiangling (a character from Liyue, the second region you explore in the game) by completing the third floor of the third chamber in the Spiral Abyss. Collei is also unlocked automatically as you journey through Sumeru, the fourth main region discovered in the game.^{[14]
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- If you buy the “Beginner’s Wish” pull (a special banner only available to beginning players), you’re guaranteed to get Noelle, a 4-star character from Mondstadt. (She is the only character from the Mondstadt region to specialize in the Geo element.)
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Play and battle with characters as you journey through Teyvat. During story-based cutscenes, you’ll always play from the Traveler’s point of view—but while you’re out completing quests and exploring the world of Genshin Impact you can move around, play, and fight as any of the characters you’ve pulled.
- Genshin lets you have 4 characters in your party, which makes it easy to swap between characters as you adventure and battle. The game interface lets you have 4 default teams/parties on hand, which you can customize with the “Party Setup” option on the main menu.^{[15]
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Section 4 of 5:

Battle System

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Seven types of elemental magic exist in the Genshin Impact universe: Anemo (air), Geo (earth), Electro (electric), Dendro (grass), Hydro (water), Pyro (fire), and Cyro (ice). Each and every character has an attack set that revolves around one of these elements.
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Each character uses weapons from a specific class. Swords, claymores, polearms, bows, and catalysts are the different weapon classes in Genshin Impact, with each boasting a different fighting style. No single weapon is “better” than the other types, but certain quests and challenges within the game are best suited for ranged weapons (like bows and catalysts), while others are better suited for melee weapons (like swords, claymores, and polearms).^{[16]
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- Claymores are essentially thicker swords, polearms are like spears, and catalysts are floating objects that let the caster attack directly with their magic.
- Characters can only play with one style of weapon—for instance, Cyno (a polearm user) can’t be equipped with a sword, claymore, catalyst, or bow.
- As you pull weapons for banners, they collect in your inventory, which can be accessed via the backpack icon in the top right corner of your screen. Each character can only be equipped with one weapon at a time; if you want to switch their weapon out, go to the “Weapons” section of the inventory to make the change.^{[17]
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Make a balanced, 4-person team to give maximize your effectiveness in battle. Genshin lets you put 4 people on your team’s roster. By choosing characters with different elemental specialties, you can create Elemental Reactions—these are special combos that perform special effects and potentially do extra damage.^{[18]
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- For example, attacking a Pyro enemy with a Hydro-based attack creates the Vaporize effect, which does double the damage.
As you explore the different regions in Tevyat, you’ll come across random enemies in the wild, like Slimes and Hilichurls, which aren’t super difficult to defeat.^{[19]
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Fight Domains and Ley Lines using Original Resin. The different regions in Teyvat are filled with Domains and Ley Lines—these are specialized locations where you can battle specific enemies in exchange for specific rewards and materials. Spending 20 Resin allows you to participate in these battles. If you run out, you can either wait for your Resin to regenerate naturally (1 resin regenerates every 8 minutes), or you can spend primogems or Fragile/Transient Resin to replenish your supply.^{[20]
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- The materials you earn allow you to level up and evolve your character, making them even stronger.

Section 5 of 5:

Essential Hints and Tricks

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Save your primogems for characters you really want. It’s completely possible to play Genshin Impact without paying any money for Genesis Crystals—but it can definitely be tempting to fork over your wallet for every beautiful new character that gets released. With this in mind, save up your primogems for the characters that you want the most (or existing characters that are getting re-released in the future).
- Tune into Genshin Impact’s official social media pages as well as fan sites to get an idea of which characters will be released soon.
Let’s say you did around 90 pulls for Shenhe but lost the 50/50 5-star odds (and got a default 5-star like Jean or Qiqi instead). Instead of continuing to pull for Shenhe, you could wait for a different Event banner with a character you want even more. Your Pity from the last Event banner will transfer over, and you’ll be guaranteed to get the Event 5-star character within the next 90 pulls.^{[21]
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Make plenty of food so you’re prepared for any battle. Visit an outdoor cooking stove (located in the main city in each region) to prepare a variety of different recipes—you can buy recipes from various NPCs throughout the game. Using ingredients that you’ve either collected or purchased, utilize the in-game interface to whip up different dishes. If you’re low on health during a battle, eating food can help heal (or even revive) members of your party.^{[22]
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- Each character can make a special version of a specific recipe, which grants bonus effects. For example, selecting Amber while cooking the Steak recipe gives you “Outrider’s Champion Steak.” A regular Steak can revive a character, while Amber’s Steak grants extra health during a revival.
Statues of the Seven are teleportation waypoints that double as healing founts for your party. If you’re running low on health, teleport to these statues for a quick pick-me-up. Just keep in mind that these Statues can only heal a finite amount of health, and will need to replenish themselves after a certain amount of time.^{[23]
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Maybe you stumble across a spot where a lot of Boar spawn, or find an area with lots of Crystal nodes. Genshin Impact offers pins that help customize your map so you can remember where everything is.^{[24]
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Collect the different elemental “culi” in each region. Throughout the game, you’ll find floating emblems that represent the element of each corresponding region (Amenoculus for Mondstadt, Geoculus for Liyue, Electroculus for Inazuma, Dendroculus for Sumeru, and so on). Collect these objects and give them to Statues of the Seven.^{[25]
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- Giving these objects to Statues earns you Elemental Sigils. Trade these Sigils at the Souvenir shops in each city to pick up Memories—these are items that let you evolve the main/playable character’s Constellations.^{[26]
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