White Sockets in Path of Exile: How to get white sockets

In Path of Exile, most skill gems require a specific colored socket (Red for Strength, Green for Dexterity, Blue for Intelligence) to be placed in an item. However, there exists a rare and highly versatile socket type: the White Socket. Unlike colored sockets, white sockets can accommodate any color of skill gem, making them incredibly valuable for build flexibility and optimizing gem setups. This guide will demystify white sockets, explain their utility, and detail the various methods by which Exiles can acquire them.

What are White Sockets?

A white socket is a special type of socket on an item that acts as a wildcard. Any skill gem, regardless of its color (Red, Green, Blue, or even other white gems), can be placed into a white socket. This provides immense flexibility, allowing players to:

  • Easily swap skill gems: Adapt your build on the fly without needing to re-color your item.
  • Overcome off-color challenges: If an item has a strong attribute bias, obtaining white sockets can bypass the difficulty and cost of forcing off-colors.
  • Future-proof items: As new gems are introduced or balance changes occur, white sockets ensure your item remains adaptable.

Given their utility, white sockets are significantly rarer and more challenging to obtain than colored sockets.

poe how to get white sockets

Methods to Obtain White Sockets

Acquiring white sockets typically involves high-risk, high-reward crafting methods or specific league mechanics. Here are the primary ways:

1. Vaal Orb Corruption (Low Chance)

Using a Vaal Orb on an item is the most common, albeit highly unpredictable, way to obtain white sockets. When you corrupt an item with a Vaal Orb, one of several outcomes can occur, including:

  • No change (most common).
  • Adding a Vaal implicit modifier.
  • Changing socket colors to white (low chance, typically 25% chance for any socket to turn white, not all).
  • Changing the number of sockets or links.
  • Turning the item into a rare item with new modifiers.

If the Vaal Orb turns some or all of your sockets white, consider yourself lucky! This is a highly sought-after outcome. However, be aware that Vaaling an item also makes it corrupted, meaning its sockets, links, and modifiers can no longer be altered by normal currency (e.g., Chromatic Orbs, Jeweller’s Orbs, Orbs of Fusing). The only way to modify sockets on a corrupted item is via the Crafting Bench, which incurs an additional Vaal Orb cost.

2. Temple of Atzoatl (Altar of Corruption)

The Altar of Corruption found in the Apex of the Temple of Atzoatl (from Alva’s Incursion mechanic) offers a powerful, but still risky, way to obtain white sockets. The Altar has four possible outcomes when you sacrifice an item:

  • Corrupts the item, changing all sockets to white.
  • Corrupts the item, adding two implicit modifiers.
  • Corrupts the item, destroying it.
  • Corrupts the item, doing nothing.

The chance of getting all white sockets is not guaranteed, but it is a much higher probability than with a regular Vaal Orb. This method is often used for high-value items where all white sockets would be a significant upgrade.

3. Harvest Crafting (Specific Crafts)

Harvest crafting, when available, can provide deterministic methods for obtaining white sockets. These are typically specific crafts that appear rarely and allow you to modify socket colors, sometimes including the option to turn them white. These crafts are highly sought after due to their deterministic nature.

4. Heist Enchantments

Certain Heist enchantments, found on items from Grand Heists, can influence socket colors. Some of these enchantments can provide a chance for sockets to turn white when using certain currency or crafting methods. These are often niche but can be very powerful for specific crafting projects.

5. Specific Unique Items

Some unique items in Path of Exile inherently come with white sockets or have mechanics that treat their sockets as white. The most famous example is Tabula Rasa, a unique Simple Robe that always has 6 white linked sockets. Other unique items might have modifiers that grant white sockets under certain conditions or for specific gem types.

  • Tabula Rasa: The quintessential example, providing 6 white linked sockets from level 1, making it an excellent leveling unique.
  • Skin of the Loyal / Skin of the Lords: These unique body armours can roll with a variable number of white sockets, making them highly desirable for builds requiring many off-colors.

Utility and Best Practices for White Sockets

White sockets offer unparalleled flexibility, but they are also a significant investment. Here are some best practices:

  • Prioritize High-Value Items: Given the difficulty and cost, aim for white sockets on your most important and long-term gear pieces, such as your main body armour or weapon.
  • Build Flexibility: Use white sockets to experiment with different gem setups or to easily swap between active skills and support gems without needing to re-color.
  • Off-Color Solutions: If you have an item with extreme attribute requirements and need many off-colors, pursuing white sockets (especially via Temple of Atzoatl) can be a more efficient long-term solution than endlessly spamming Crafting Bench recipes or Chromatic Orbs.
  • Corrupted Item Synergy: White sockets obtained via Vaal Orb or Altar of Corruption are particularly valuable on corrupted items, as they bypass the normal inability to modify sockets on such items.

The Vorici Calculator and White Sockets

While our Vorici Calculator primarily focuses on Chromatic Orb and Crafting Bench costs for colored sockets, understanding the value and acquisition methods of white sockets is crucial for a complete socket crafting strategy. The calculator helps you determine if the cost of forcing off-colors with traditional methods outweighs the potential investment in obtaining white sockets through corruption or other means. It empowers you to make informed decisions about when to pursue the elusive white socket.

Conclusion

White sockets are a powerful, albeit rare, feature in Path of Exile that offer immense flexibility for gem setups. Whether obtained through the risky but rewarding Vaal Orb corruption, the more deterministic Altar of Corruption, or through specific unique items, mastering the acquisition and utility of white sockets is a hallmark of an experienced Exile. Integrate this knowledge with the insights from our Vorici Calculator to truly optimize your gear and conquer the challenges of Wraeclast.