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The glass special-weapons case opens with the S.T.A.R.S. Badge in its normal badge form. If your badge is extended as the USB Dongle Key, examine it in the inventory and retract the USB section first. The case is at the lower Underground Stairs in the Underground Facility beneath the RPD; the USB form is used at the S.T.A.R.S. Office computer and armory, not at this case.
Use this checklist first
Work through these checks in order. They isolate the usual reason the case appears unresponsive without requiring you to discard progress or assume that your game is broken.
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Resident Evil 2 Remake PS4 | $23.49 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Resident Evil - PlayStation 4 | $23.64 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Resident Evil 4 - PS4 | $19.93 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Resident Evil 2 (PS4) | $24.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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PS4 RESIDENT EVIL 2 (US) | $33.98 | Buy on Amazon |
- Stand at the correct case. It is in the Underground Facility, below the RPD, at the lower Underground Stairs.
- Verify the item’s origin. The required item is the S.T.A.R.S. Badge obtained from the Red Jewel and Bejeweled Box sequence.
- Inspect the badge in your inventory. If it is showing as the USB Dongle Key, rotate or inspect it until the interaction point lets you retract the USB section.
- Return it to badge form. The case accepts the normal S.T.A.R.S. Badge, not the extended USB state.
- Interact with the glass case again. Do not try to insert the USB into the case.
- Check the expected reward for your character. Leon and Claire receive different upgrade parts.
- If there is still no response, recheck the location and item state, then reload an earlier save or use platform-specific support. There is no confirmed, platform-wide repair procedure documented for this symptom.
Where the special-weapons case is located
Underground Facility, lower Underground Stairs
The case is not in the police station’s S.T.A.R.S. Office. It is in the Underground Facility beneath the RPD, specifically at the lower Underground Stairs. If you are standing at the armory or computer in the S.T.A.R.S. Office, you are dealing with a different lock and a different use for the same key item.
Use the map and room labels to confirm that you have reached the Underground Facility area. A search for “special weapons case” can be confusing because the S.T.A.R.S. Office also has an item-related interaction, but that office interaction does not substitute for the glass case at the stairs.
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Make sure you actually have the S.T.A.R.S. Badge
The Red Jewel and Bejeweled Box sequence
The badge is obtained through a two-item sequence: acquire the Red Jewel, combine it with the Bejeweled Box, and collect the S.T.A.R.S. Badge from the opened box. If the badge is not in your inventory, reaching the case early will not make it open.
Check the inventory by name rather than relying on memory of having handled the jewel or box. The Red Jewel by itself is not the item that unlocks the case, and the Bejeweled Box by itself is not the item that unlocks it. The completed result you need to identify is the S.T.A.R.S. Badge.
Distinguish the badge from similarly named inventory states
The badge can change appearance and function when you inspect it. A badge icon that has been extended into a USB Dongle Key is still the same underlying item, but it is not in the state required by the glass case. Before troubleshooting anything more serious, open the item’s examine view and confirm the displayed state.
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- A spine-chilling reimagining of a horror classic - Based on the original PlayStation console release in 1998, the new game has been completely rebuilt from the ground up for a deeper narrative experience
- A whole new perspective – New over-the-shoulder camera mode and modernized control scheme creates a more modern take on the survival horror experience and offers players a trip down memory lane with the original gameplay modes from the 1998 release.
- Terrifyingly realistic visuals – Built on Capcom’s proprietary RE Engine, Resident Evil 2 delivers breathtakingly photorealistic visuals in 4K whilst stunning lighting creates an up-close, intense and atmospheric experience as players roam the corridors of the Raccoon City Police Department (RPD).
- Face the grotesque hordes – Zombies are brought to life with a horrifyingly realistic wet gore effect as they react in real time taking instant visible damage, making every bullet count.
- Iconic series defining gameplay – Engage in frenzied combat with enemies, explore dark menacing corridors, solve puzzles to access areas and collect and use items discovered around the environment in a terrifying constant fight for survival
How to turn the USB Dongle Key back into the badge
- Open your inventory while you are away from the case or at the case; the operation is performed through the item’s examine view.
- Select the S.T.A.R.S. Badge or the USB Dongle Key entry.
- Choose the command to examine or inspect the item.
- Rotate the object until the interaction point for the USB section appears. The exact button prompt varies by platform, so follow the on-screen prompt rather than a keyboard or controller instruction from another edition.
- Press that interaction point to retract the USB section. The item should return to its normal S.T.A.R.S. Badge form.
- Close the inventory and interact with the glass case at the lower Underground Stairs.
There is no need to discard the item, combine it with another object, or obtain a second badge. The required change is a visual and functional state change made while examining the item.
Why the USB form does not open this case
The S.T.A.R.S. Badge has two relevant uses in the remake. In its extended form, it becomes the USB Dongle Key for the S.T.A.R.S. Office computer and armory. The lower Underground Stairs case checks for the badge form instead. That is why the game can accept the same item in one location while ignoring it in another.
Trying to use the extended USB directly on the glass case does not provide a separate “wrong key” message; it can simply look as though the case has no response. Retracting the USB removes that ambiguity. Once the item is visibly back to the badge, interact with the case itself rather than selecting a USB action.
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What you should receive after opening the case
The contents depend on which character scenario you are playing. The location and opening procedure are the same, but the upgrade part is different.
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| Scenario | Reward from the special-weapons case | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Leon | Lightning Hawk/Magnum upgrade part | The case provides an upgrade part for Leon’s Lightning Hawk (Magnum). |
| Claire | MQ-11 upgrade part | The case provides an upgrade part for Claire’s MQ-11. |
If you are playing Leon and were expecting the MQ-11 part, or playing Claire and were expecting the Lightning Hawk/Magnum part, the difference is scenario-based rather than evidence that the case failed to open. Confirm the character before judging the result.
Troubleshooting when the case still will not respond
1. Recheck the room, not just the general area
Return to the lower Underground Stairs in the Underground Facility. “Below the RPD” is a broad description; the relevant interaction is tied to this specific case at the stairs. If you are at the S.T.A.R.S. Office armory, you have not reached the target interaction described here.
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- A spine-chilling reimagining of a horror classic - Based on the original PlayStation console release in 1998, the new game has been completely rebuilt from the ground up for a deeper narrative experience
- A whole new perspective - New over-the-shoulder camera mode and modernized control scheme creates a more modern take on the survival horror experience and offers players a trip down memory lane with the original gameplay modes from the 1998 release
- Terrifyingly realistic visuals - Built on Capcom's proprietary RE Engine, Resident Evil 2 delivers breathtakingly photorealistic visuals in 4K whilst stunning lighting creates an up-close, intense and atmospheric experience as players roam the corridors of the Raccoon City Police Department (RPD)
- Face the grotesque hordes - Zombies are brought to life with a horrifyingly realistic wet gore effect as they react in real time taking instant visible damage, making every bullet count
- Iconic series defining gameplay - Engage in frenzied combat with enemies, explore dark menacing corridors, solve puzzles to access areas and collect and use items discovered around the environment in a terrifying constant fight for survival
2. Recheck the item name and form
Open the inventory and look for the badge entry. If the item is labeled or displayed as the USB Dongle Key, perform the examine-and-retract procedure before trying the case again. If you cannot find the badge at all, retrace the Red Jewel and Bejeweled Box sequence; handling only one of those objects does not produce the required item.
3. Leave the examine screen completely
After retracting the USB, close the inspection view and return to normal movement. The case interaction is performed in the environment, not inside the item-examine interface. Approach the glass case again and use the normal interact command.
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The case does not give the same upgrade part in both scenarios. Use the table above to identify the reward associated with your character. A different item from the one shown in a walkthrough is not, by itself, a lock or progression error.
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5. Reload only after the state checks
If the badge is in normal form, you are at the lower Underground Stairs, and the interaction still does nothing, reload an earlier save. Choose a save from before reaching the case if one is available, then repeat the inventory inspection and approach. This can clear a transient interaction-state problem without deleting the entire run.
6. Treat broad bug claims cautiously
There is no confirmed platform-wide bug or universally documented repair procedure for a case that remains closed after the correct badge state and location have been verified. Avoid concluding that a particular console or edition is defective based only on an isolated report. Record your platform, edition, scenario, save point, and the exact item state before contacting platform-specific support; those details are more useful than simply reporting that the “case is broken.”
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Common mistakes that make the puzzle look broken
- Using the USB at the glass. The USB state belongs to the S.T.A.R.S. Office computer and armory; retract it for the Underground Stairs case.
- Stopping after finding the Red Jewel. The badge appears only after the Red Jewel is combined with the Bejeweled Box and the box’s contents are collected.
- Searching the S.T.A.R.S. Office for the glass case. The target case is in the Underground Facility, not the office armory.
- Expecting identical rewards. Leon’s and Claire’s scenarios provide different upgrade parts.
- Reloading before checking the item view. A save reload cannot replace a badge that is still extended as the USB; inspect and retract it first.
A compact decision path
Use this sequence whenever you return to the puzzle:
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- Are you at the glass case at the lower Underground Stairs in the Underground Facility? If not, travel there.
- Do you possess the S.T.A.R.S. Badge created through the Red Jewel and Bejeweled Box sequence? If not, complete that sequence.
- Does the item currently show the USB Dongle Key? If yes, examine it, rotate to the interaction point, and retract the USB.
- With the normal badge displayed, close the inventory and interact with the glass case.
- After opening, compare the reward with your scenario: Lightning Hawk/Magnum upgrade part for Leon or MQ-11 upgrade part for Claire.
- If every condition matches and the case remains inert, reload an earlier save and then seek support for the specific platform and edition.
The decisive distinction is the item’s form: the S.T.A.R.S. Badge opens the Underground Stairs case, while the extended USB Dongle Key serves the S.T.A.R.S. Office interaction.
Quick Recap
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