No Man's Sky has undergone a radical transformation in the last couple of years, ever since it first launched in August of 2016. In that time, Hello Games has continually updated and expanded its science-fiction exploration game, iterating upon everything from the UI to the core gameplay systems, all in an effort to ensure that No Man's Sky only gets better with age. Still, the studio is preparing to launch its most ambitious update to date this summer – that's right, No Man's Sky VR is coming and it looks all sorts of awesome.
"I guess it's not a huge surprise, but all of the team here is in love with everything sci-fi. Virtual reality feels like a little science fiction become real, and has always seemed like a perfect fit for this futuristic game of ours," Hello Games' Sean Murray told us over email as he confirmed the news. "It’s completely unique to land on a world that no-one has ever seen before and to really feel as if you’re there, and the team has worked so hard to make this a true VR experience rather than a port."
No Man's Sky VR will launch – for free! – as part of the sweeping Beyond update, which is also set to dramatically change the multiplayer component to the game following its introduction to the game in last year's No Man's Sky Next expansion. No Man's Sky Beyond, if you'll recall, is made up of three distinct parts that are designed to give each and every one of you players out there reason to hop back into a spaceship and explore the far reaches of the galaxy.
The first is No Man's Sky Online, which Hello Games teases will be a "a radical new social and multiplayer experience which empowers players everywhere in the universe to meet and play together."
The second, as we are now learning, will be the addition of VR to the core game with no strings attached. Hello Games is keen to stress that this isn't a separate mode, but is in fact "the entire game brought to life in virtual reality". It means that anything that you can currently do in No Man's Sky or in the Next expansion – not to mention in any future updates that might release down the line – can be experienced through what the studio is teasing is an "immersive and enriched VR experience", and you'll be able to do it without sacrificing an inch of your progress.
As for the third pillar of Beyond? Well, Hello Games isn't quite ready to talk about that one just yet. However, given the scope of the first two portions of this package – the addition of a huge MMO-type multiplayer experience and full PlayStation VR and Steam VR support – the mind can only imagine what ridiculous things the studio has in store for us next.
VR support has been a highly requested feature for No Man's Sky ever since it was first unveiled way back in 2014. The screenshots have given us but a taste of what's to come, but we're eager to experience it in action for ourselves. Here's hoping Hello Games doesn't make us wait until the Summer to make that happen.
For help surviving in Hello Games' procedural expanse, read up on our guide on how to make money fast in No Man's Sky, or check out our video guide on how to get the best out of the game's multiplayer:
