No Man’s Sky supports cross-platform multiplayer: you can form a group with friends on other platforms, meet aboard the Space Anomaly, and take on missions together. The two main ways to connect are to join or create a session from the game’s multiplayer entry point, or add a friend with their No Man’s Sky friend code and meet in-game. Menu wording may vary from the instructions Hello Games published in 2020.
How to join or invite a friend
- Open the game’s multiplayer entry point. From the frontend or in-game, choose the option to start or join a multiplayer session. Hello Games says cross-platform groups can be created or joined in either place; the exact current menu labels are not confirmed.
- Add or find your friend. Use the in-game friend workflow and your friend’s unique No Man’s Sky friend code to connect. If you are already together in the game, Hello Games’ crossplay instructions also describe adding a player through direct interaction.
- Join the same group or session. Once connected, use the available multiplayer controls to join your friend. If the interface differs, check the game’s current multiplayer or network options rather than relying on older menu names.
- Meet at the Space Anomaly. Once you are grouped, summon or travel to the Anomaly, the game’s shared social hub, to gather before exploring or starting an activity.
Hello Games announced cross-platform play for PS4, Xbox One, and PC in 2020. Its support page also lists PS5, Xbox Series, and Nintendo Switch, but the sources here do not establish a current, exhaustive crossplay matrix for every platform and edition. Check the game’s current platform support information if you need to confirm a specific pairing.
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Where to meet in No Man’s Sky
The Space Anomaly
The Space Anomaly is the most useful meeting place for a planned co-op session. Hello Games describes it as a shared social hub where players can gather, visit other players’ bases, and access multiplayer missions. The game’s current official page advertises up to 32-player multiplayer when summoning the Anomaly. That is Hello Games’ stated maximum, not a guarantee that every platform, location, or session will hold that many players.
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The game can also match players from different platforms during exploration, according to Hello Games’ crossplay announcement. These encounters are different from arranging a session with a particular friend: use the friend-code or session-join workflow when you want to meet someone specific.
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- Embark on an epic voyage, find your own destiny in this epic space adventure
- Includes 6 years of updates
- An entire universe to explore on the go in the palm of your hands
- For the first time ever, PlayStation 5 physical edition as well as Nintendo Switch (physical & digital)
What you can do together
Take a Nexus mission
At the Nexus aboard the Space Anomaly, choose a multiplayer mission and take it on with your group. Hello Games describes these missions as playable with friends or random players, making the Nexus a straightforward choice when everyone has met but has not decided what to do.
Explore, build, and visit bases
Once grouped, you can explore, build, trade, fight, and survive together. You can also visit another player’s base. These are broad multiplayer activities rather than a single fixed co-op campaign, so agree on a destination or objective before splitting up.
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- Region Free Australia
- 100% Compatible With USA Playstation 4 Console
- Region 2 (AUS) or 4 (EUR) Required for DLC Redemption or Purchases
- Playstation VR Compatible (optional)
Communicate
Hello Games’ older NEXT overview mentions headset voice communication and PC text chat. Because that feature description is historical, it should not be taken as a current guide to chat controls on every platform. Check the game’s available communication settings for your platform.
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- Menu labels do not match: Look in the current multiplayer or network options; the documented cross-platform workflow dates to 2020 and labels may have changed.
- You need to confirm a platform pairing: Crossplay is supported, but the available sources do not confirm every present-day platform-and-edition combination. Check current platform support for the specific versions you and your friend use.
- You need to know whether an online subscription is required: The official information cited here does not establish console online-service subscription rules. Check the relevant platform’s current multiplayer requirements.
Player limits: what the published numbers mean
Hello Games’ current game page advertises up to 32 players when summoning the Space Anomaly. The figure is a general published maximum, not a promise about any particular session. Older 2019 Beyond update notes gave different limits for that release period: 16 players in the Anomaly on all platforms, and up to 8 on console or 32 on PC elsewhere in the universe. Those 2019 figures are historical and should not be used as current limits.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
![No Man's Sky Standard - PC Steam [Online Game Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/619dfBaaLhL._SL160_.jpg)
- Play with all major updates since launch
- And now with added Cross-Save! No Man’s Sky now supports Cross-Play and Cross-Save between a huge number of platforms including PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 5 Pro, Xbox One and Series X/S, Game Pass, GOG, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, PlayStation VR 1 & 2 and PCVR.
Rank #3
- Embark on an epic voyage, find your own destiny in this epic space adventure
- Includes 6 years of updates*
- An entire universe to explore on the go in the palm of your hands
- For the first time ever, PlayStation 5 physical edition as well as Nintendo Switch (physical & digital)
- Please note that although this game is Region Free or Region Unlocked and will work on all systems, this is the international version and may differ from the local version in age rating, labeling or instructions.
Official sources
- Hello Games: Crossplay update notes (June 10, 2020)
- Hello Games: No Man’s Sky official game page
- Hello Games: Beyond update notes
- Hello Games: NEXT update overview
- Hello Games Support: Platforms for No Man’s Sky
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