For No Man’s Sky performance problems on PC, first identify whether you’re dealing with low FPS, stutter, crashes, or visual corruption. Then try reversible checks—disable mods and overlays, update graphics drivers, and close background utilities—before clearing caches, resetting settings, or verifying the game files. For low FPS, adjust graphics options one at a time. These steps are PC-specific, and none guarantees a particular frame rate.
Start by identifying the problem
Before changing anything, note your platform and game version, CPU and GPU, memory, resolution, graphics preset, and when the issue began. Distinguish between low average FPS, intermittent stutter, a crash, and visual corruption: a graphics setting may help low FPS but will not necessarily fix a crash on launch.
The detailed troubleshooting steps below are for Windows PC, particularly the Steam installation paths described by Hello Games. Do not apply those file paths or Steam steps to console versions. Hello Games also lists PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch, and PC through Steam, GOG, or Microsoft Store as supported platforms in its minimum-specifications article.
Try reversible PC checks first
Disable mods for a test
Temporarily turn off mods and launch the game again. Hello Games notes that mods can cause problems depending on the mod, particularly soon after a game update. If performance returns to normal, re-enable mods selectively to identify a conflict rather than changing unrelated settings.
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Update the graphics driver
Install the current driver from the manufacturer of your graphics hardware. Hello Games specifically calls out both dedicated and onboard graphics, including Intel graphics. On a laptop with hybrid graphics, confirm that the game is using the GPU you intend; the support guidance recommends driver updates but does not provide a universal GPU-selection procedure.
Close overlays and nonessential background utilities
For a test, close overlays and other nonessential programs you recognize and can safely restore. Hello Games names Discord Overlay, Nvidia Experience Overlay, MSI Afterburner, and EVGA PrecisionX as examples that may cause issues. These tools are not inherently harmful; the point is to see whether one is contributing on your system.
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Address severe graphics problems, crashes, or damaged files
Hello Games’ severe-issue guide, updated in 2019, documents these steps for PC. They are troubleshooting options, not proof that every current system needs them.
Clear the shader cache
If you have severe graphical problems or crashes early in startup, close the game and clear the contents of the Steam installation’s Steam/steamapps/common/No Man's Sky/GAMEDATA/SHADERCACHE folder. Hello Games says the next load may take slightly longer once while the cache is rebuilt.
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Reset the game’s settings files when appropriate
For severe graphics problems, Hello Games advises deleting TKGAMESETTINGS and TKGRAPHICSSETTINGS from the Steam installation’s Binaries/SETTINGS directory. This resets configuration; you may need to choose your preferences again. Use this step when a settings reset is relevant, not as a routine first response to low FPS.
Verify the Steam installation
- Open Steam Library.
- Right-click No Man’s Sky and select Properties.
- Open Local Files and select Verify Integrity of Game Files.
Hello Games says Steam’s integrity check can replace missing or invalid files. Its full severe graphics or performance troubleshooting guide covers these steps.
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Improve low FPS by changing graphics options incrementally
If the problem is low frame rate rather than a crash or corrupted visuals, test one change at a time in the same scene so you can tell what helped. Start by lowering resolution if necessary, then consider reducing the settings Hello Games lists in its PC frame-rate guide: Ultra anti-aliasing/SSAA, HBAO, anisotropic filtering, shadows, light shafts, and terrain tessellation. Lowering demanding options can trade image quality for performance; results vary by system.
Check V-sync if the frame rate keeps falling to a lower step
If FPS repeatedly dips below a target and frame pacing seems capped, test V-sync off. Hello Games’ 2020 guide describes a case where a frame rate just below 60 FPS with V-sync can be forced to 30 FPS. Treat that as documented behavior in its troubleshooting guidance, not a guarantee that every modern system or configuration will behave the same way.
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Compare your PC with the published minimum requirements
Hello Games’ minimum PC specifications, published in an article updated October 31, 2022, are:
- Operating system: Windows 10/11 (64-bit)
- Processor: Intel Core i3
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: Nvidia GTX 1060 3GB, AMD RX 470 4GB, or Intel UHD Graphics 630
- Storage: 15 GB available
These are minimums, not a promised FPS target. Meeting them does not establish that a particular game setting, scene, or update will run at a particular frame rate. If your system is below the published minimums, hardware may be a factor, but check which component is limiting performance before spending money. The available specifications do not support recommending a specific graphics card or predicting how much an upgrade would help.
When to contact Hello Games
If the severe-issue steps do not resolve a crash, major graphics problem, or persistent performance issue, Hello Games directs players to open a help-desk ticket. Include your platform, game version, CPU and GPU, memory, symptom, steps already tried, and whether mods are enabled. Use the support link in its PC troubleshooting article.
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