I have a confession: I am a turn-based RPG goblin, and HoYoverse's Honkai Star Rail has been feeding my habit since launch. In 2026, the game still runs on seven different currencies — eight if you count the two types of Star Rail Passes as separate little beasts — and each one exists to make my brain produce the good chemicals. Stellar Jade, Credits, Undying Starlight, Undying Embers, Trailblaze EXP, and the rest all have their places. But there is one currency that does not drop from chests, does not come from daily missions, and definitely does not fall out of a Space Station trash can: Oneiric Shards. 😭
Oneiric Shards are the premium currency in Honkai Star Rail. That means I cannot earn them by being clever, lucky, or annoyingly persistent. I have to spend real-life money. Yes, actual dollars, euros, yen, or whatever my local app store decides to charge me. I know. I checked my wallet. It screamed.
Oneiric Pouch: The Store Where My Wallet Whimpers
The main way to get Oneiric Shards is through the Oneiric Pouch inside the in-game Store. I open the shop, see the shiny numbers, and immediately hear a tiny violin playing for my bank account. Once I buy them, those shards can be used in the Contract Shop to purchase a variety of special items. They can also be transformed into Stellar Jade, which is the currency I actually need for pulling on banners. It is a beautiful, circular economy: I buy a premium currency, convert it into another currency, and then spend that currency on a character who will either come home or break my heart.
Here is a quick and painless breakdown of how these currencies behave, at least according to my own questionable experience:
| Currency or Item | What It Is | How I Get It | What I Do With It |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oneiric Shards | Premium currency | Real-life money via Oneiric Pouch | Contract Shop purchases or convert to Stellar Jade |
| Stellar Jade | Pull currency | Missions, events, daily check-ins, converting Oneiric Shards | Warps, because gacha is a lifestyle 🎲 |
| Express Supply Pass | Subscription service | USD $4.99 every 30 days | 300 Oneiric Shards upfront and 90 Stellar Jade daily for 30 days |
I will not pretend I am above any of this. I am not. I have looked at a limited banner, looked at my Stellar Jade count, and looked at the Oneiric Pouch with the same expression a raccoon gives an unlocked trash can.
Express Supply Pass: The Subscription That Actually Feels Like a Deal
The Express Supply Pass is the other major way to get Oneiric Shards, and honestly, it is the one that makes me feel slightly less like I am being financially irresponsible. For USD $4.99 every 30 days, I get a subscription that lasts a full thirty-day cycle. As soon as it expires, I have to buy it again if I want to keep the goodies coming.
The math is simple: each subscription gives me 300 Oneiric Shards right at the start. Then, for the duration of those 30 days, I get 90 Stellar Jade every single day. If I log in every day like a loyal little Trailblazer, that is 2,700 Stellar Jade over the month, plus the 300 Oneiric Shards. That is not nothing. That is, in fact, a respectable pile of gacha fuel.
Of course, there is a catch: I have to log in daily. If I miss a day, I miss that day's 90 Stellar Jade. The game does not send it to my mailbox out of pity. It does not care that I was busy, tired, or emotionally recovering from a 50/50 loss. The Express Supply Pass rewards consistency. It is basically a loyalty program for people who cannot stop thinking about turn-based combat.
Should You Buy Oneiric Shards in 2026?
If you are a free-to-play player, the answer is simple: no. You do not need Oneiric Shards. You can enjoy Honkai Star Rail, clear the story, build your characters, and cry over relic RNG without spending a cent. The game gives plenty of free Stellar Jade through events, missions, and daily check-ins.
If you are a low-spender, the Express Supply Pass is usually the better deal. It gives you a steady drip of Stellar Jade and a chunk of Oneiric Shards for less than the price of a fancy coffee. As long as you actually log in, it stretches your spending further than buying Oneiric Shards directly.
If you are a whale, well, the Oneiric Pouch exists for you. I am not here to judge. I am here to remind you that the Contract Shop and Stellar Jade conversion are waiting.
My personal 2026 strategy is this: buy the Express Supply Pass when I know I will be active, ignore the Oneiric Pouch unless a limited character is about to leave and my impulse control is on vacation, and never forget that Oneiric Shards are not free. They never were. They never will be. And yet, somehow, I will still check the shop tomorrow.
So there you have it: Oneiric Shards are the premium currency you buy with real money, the Oneiric Pouch is where you buy them, the Contract Shop and Stellar Jade conversion are where you spend them, and the Express Supply Pass is the subscription that gives you 300 Oneiric Shards plus 90 Stellar Jade per day for 30 days at USD $4.99. May your wallet be brave and your pulls be lucky. 💸