If you’ve ever hovered over the purchase button for Stellar Jade while a limited character banner is running, you’ve probably wondered exactly how much you need to save to hit that guaranteed 5-star pity. The 90-pull hard pity mark is the most important number for any HSR gacha plan, since it’s the point where you’re guaranteed to get a 5-star character on any limited character banner. Whether you’re a free-to-play player grinding out rewards or someone looking to spend real money for a favorite unit, knowing how much is 90 pulls in Honkai star rail helps you plan your resources properly without wasting time or cash. I’ve been playing HSR since launch, and I’ve both grinded for 90 pulls free and paid for them a handful of times, so I’ve broken down every possible cost and value angle to help you make the best choice for your account.
How Much Is 90 Pulls in Honkai: Star Rail? Full Cost Breakdown
First, let’s cover the basic in-game currency math, since that applies to every player no matter how you get your Stellar Jades. Each single pull on any character or light cone banner costs 160 Stellar Jades, so 90 pulls adds up to a total of 14,400 Stellar Jades total. That number stays the same whether you earn your jades for free or buy them with real money. If you’re paying real money for jades, the cost varies a lot depending on what purchase option you use. The most expensive option is buying Oneiric Shards directly from the store without any bonuses. Without the first-purchase double bonus, 14,400 Stellar Jades would cost roughly $160 USD for the largest top-up bundle. But if you’re a new player using your first-purchase double bonus for the largest shard pack, that same 14,400 jades only costs around $80 USD. It’s important to note that regional prices vary, and tax will add a small extra amount to your total depending on where you live. You also don’t have to buy all the jades at once: many players spread purchases across months or combine paid jades with free earned ones to hit the 90 pull mark faster.
Free Ways to Earn 90 Pulls Without Spending Real Cash
You don’t have to spend a dime to get 90 pulls in HSR, as long as you’re willing to put in a bit of playtime each patch. The game gives out thousands of Stellar Jades for free every 6-week patch cycle, and most consistent free-to-play players can earn 60 to 80 pulls per patch without extra effort. That means you can get 90 pulls in as little as 7 to 8 weeks of regular play, no credit card required. I’ve done this twice for limited characters I wanted, and it’s totally doable even if you only play 30 minutes a day. The most reliable free Stellar Jade sources include:
If you’re aiming for a specific character that’s coming up in future banners, you can plan your jade savings 2 to 3 months in advance to make sure you have enough for 90 pulls even if you hit hard pity. You don’t have to 100% every piece of content to hit this goal either: even skipping some of the more time-consuming open world content will still get you enough jades for 90 pulls in about 10 weeks of casual play.
Is Paying for 90 Pulls in Honkai: Star Rail Actually Worth It?
This is the question I get asked most often by new players, and the answer really depends on your personal situation, budget, and how much you want the featured banner character. First, it’s important to remember that 90 pulls is the hard pity mark, but 90% of players get their 5-star character at the soft pity threshold between 75 and 80 pulls, so you’ll rarely have to actually do the full 90 pulls to get a limited 5-star. Paying for 90 pulls is worth it if the character is a core unit that will drastically improve your account and you have disposable income that you don’t need for bills or other necessities. I paid for 90 pulls for Seele when the game first launched, and she carried my account through all endgame content for 6 straight patches, so it was 100% worth it for me. On the other hand, paying for 90 pulls isn’t worth it if you’re on a tight budget, or if the featured character is a side unit that won’t add much to your existing teams. You also don’t need every limited 5-star to clear all endgame content: I’ve cleared every Forgotten Hall and Simulated Universe challenge using only free 4-star characters, so spending is never required to enjoy the full game. Never spend money you can’t afford to lose on gacha pulls, since there’s always a chance you get a standard 5-star instead of the limited unit even at pity.
Tips to Save Money When Buying 90 Pulls
If you do decide to spend money to get 90 pulls, there are a few easy ways to cut your cost in half without missing out on any jades. The first thing you should always do is use your first-purchase double bonus first, since it gives you twice as many Oneiric Shards for the same price. These bonuses reset once a year around the game’s anniversary, so make sure you use them only for characters you really want. The best value purchase for any player is the Express Supply Pass, the $5 monthly pass that gives you 300 Oneiric Shards up front plus 90 Stellar Jade per day for 30 days. That adds up to 3,000 Stellar Jade total for $5, which is 6 times more value than buying Oneiric Shards directly. If you play regularly, the Nameless Honor Battle Pass is another great value: for $10 per patch, you get 4 extra pulls plus hundreds of Stellar Jade, upgrade materials, and a 5-star light cone of your choice at level 50. Combining these two passes with small top-ups when you need extra jades will cut the cost of 90 pulls down to roughly $40 to $50 total, which is a fraction of the cost of buying shards directly. The last tip I have is to plan your pulls around the official banner schedule, so you don’t impulse buy jades for a character you only sort of want, and end up missing out on a character you love later.
At the end of the day, gacha spending is all about personal choice and what you can comfortably afford. To recap, how much is 90 pulls in Honkai star rail comes out to 14,400 Stellar Jades, which can be earned for free with 7 to 10 weeks of regular play, or bought for between $40 and $160 USD depending on what purchase options you use. I always tell new players to try grinding for pulls for free first, so you get a feel for how fast you can earn jades before you decide to spend any money. There’s no right or wrong way to play HSR, as long as you’re having fun and not spending money you can’t afford to lose. Whether you’re grinding for your first limited 5-star or saving up for a favorite character you’ve been waiting for, planning ahead will make the process way less stressful.
