Summary
No Man’s Skyhas released a new experimental branch for Steam users that tests some fixes for various issues impacting the game. While the changes being tested in this experimental branch are smaller, they could improve the gameplay experience for those playingNo Man’s Skyin 2024.
DespiteNo Man’s Skylaunching in 2016, Hello Games still releases regular updates to improve the game and add new content. WhileNo Man’s Skyreceived a mixed reception at launch, the amount of effort put into the game over the years has made it widely regarded as one of the most impressive redemption arcs in gaming. For example, 2024 has already seen manyfree updates forNo Man’s Sky, including Worlds Part 1, which overhauled many environmental aspects of planets, such as adding volumetric clouds and better water effects. It even added new planet types full of fresh fauna to be uncovered while exploring.
With 2024 starting to wind down, the developer has started testing some more potential changes. On November 28, Hello Games released a new experimental branch forNo Man’s Skythat Steam users can participate in. Specifically, the developer rolled out fixes for multiplayer connection problems on PS4 and crashes on PS5 when running the PS4 version. Some other fixes looked to resolve a ship inventory merging issue and poor performance on Mac. In addition, the experimental branch optimizes wind calculations, potentially creating more immersiveenvironments inNo Man’s Sky.
How to Play New Experimental Branch in No Man’s Sky
When sharing the patch notes, Hello Games recommended that Steam users using the experimental build back up their save files in case of new issues that slipped through the testing phase. According to the developer, players should make “a local copy of the st_[userid] folder found here on PC: %appdata%\HelloGames\NMS\ and here on mac: ~/Library/Application Support/HelloGames/NMS/.” In addition, Hello Games encouraged players to not use an experimental save in the main branch if they decided to opt out of testing. These fixes in the experimental branch will come to other platforms “as soon as possible.”
It is impressive to see the dedication of Hello Games in updatingNo Man’s Sky, and the player numbers show the continued relevance of the title, with thousands still regularly playing on Steam alone. In addition, thetotal Steam reviews forNo Man’s Skyrecently moved to “Very Positive” on the platform, evidencing the improvements made since its launch.
In addition to this recent experimental branch, Hello Games recently gave fans an idea of what to expect over the2024 holiday season inNo Man’s Sky. According to the developer, five expeditions will be re-run over the holidays in two-week intervals, with Omega already underway.
No Man’s Sky
WHERE TO PLAY
Lose yourself in a vast sci-fi odyssey as you explore a near-infinite, procedurally generated universe. Set out from the edge of the Euclid galaxy and carve out your own interstellar existence in a vast universe teeming with life, danger and near-endless mystery. No Man’s Sky is a hugely-ambitious, heavily-stylised, sci-fi adventure that spans entire galaxies all brought to life with procedural generation. Travel through an endless array of increasingly diverse and dangerous star systems, prospecting for rare materials, trading with alien life, populate planets and searching for clues to the meaning of the universe’s mysterious existence. How you survive is up to you. Assemble entire fleets of dreadnought-class freighters and tear across the universe; build sprawling habitable bases across planet surfaces, beneath the ground or under the ocean; buy and upgrade your own weapons and star ships and do battle with outlaw space pirates, hostile alien fauna or the mysterious sentinel fleets. The universe is yours to explore - trillions upon trillions of planets, waiting to be discovered.
