No Man's Sky has gotten several big updates over the past three years, most recently the Beyond update which carries the official 2.0 stamp. That doesn't mean modders aren't still making their own changes and additions to Hello Games' expansive space sim.
Some mods make changes to spaceships and resources, while some improve visuals, effects, the UI, and other features. If you're looking to spice up your space travels, set your sights on our list below. Here are the best mods for No Man's Sky.
We've updated our list to remove mods that no longer exist or aren't getting updates and have marked each one with the version of No Man's Sky that it supports. Check back soon for more additions compatible with No Man's Sky Beyond.
Fast Actions
Download link | Updated for 2.0 (Beyond)
It's not just No Man's Sky: a ton of games over the past few years have gravitated to a system where instead of just tapping a key to perform an action, you have to hold it down until a circle or square fills. And it's not always a bad thing: sometimes you do want to be sure you're performing the action on purpose. But it has its irritations, too, when it's applied across the board. This mod by Lo2k brings back tapping for certain actions, like menu selection, transferring resources to and from your ship, talking with NPCs, boarding your ship, and others. There are even different versions of the mod (such as medium speed actions, instead of instant) if you're interested.
Metal Ships
Download link | Updated for 1.75 (Visions)
No Man's Sky's ships are already pretty cool looking—especially exotic ones—but they do tend to look like they're made out of plastic. This mod by redmas adds a cool metal texture to fighters, to make ships look like they were built in a factory rather than in a toy store.
Asteroid Reduction
Download link | Updated for 1.5 (Next)
The problem with needing to refuel your pulse drives is that you're in space, potentially hours or days from the nearest planet under normal propulsion. How to avoid stranding players? Cram every inch of outer space with asteroids so you can quickly refuel. This creates another problem, though: every inch of outer space is now crammed with asteroids, and asteroids look like giant turds, and it's altogether lame. Modder JimmyB236 did what Hello Games should have done: there are now far fewer asteroids to block your view, but significantly more resources to be mined from each of them.
Reduced Launch Cost
Download link | Updated for 1.77 (Visions)
Filling your launch thrusters with fuel is, in my opinion, the most irritating task in No Man's Sky, and I'll leap at any chance to spend less time on it. This mod from Lexman6, updated for Next, has three options depending on how much empty launch thrusters bother you: they'll require 50 percent less fuel, 25 percent fuel, or no fuel at all.
Clean Space
Download link | Updated for 2.0 (Beyond)
This is down to personal preference, but if you think your view of space could do with some decluttering, you might want to turn your eyes on this mod by Paletizma. It removes speed lines and trade routes from your screen, along with dust and plasma. It also comes with several different versions, if you want to keep some of these effects but not others.
Superman Movement
Download here | Updated for 1.77 (Visions)
I don't know about you, but when I envision wearing a jetpack it's for the purpose of flying, not briefly lifting into the air for a couple seconds before landing back on the ground with a thud. So, I'm not completely enamored of No Man's Sky's jetpack. Modder TheNextGDD lets you simply fly with the jetpack, which is as it should be. It is, after all, a jet. Now it'll act like one.