Part of the series:

Quick Answer

  • You can invite friends directly from the main menu before loading a save.
  • Friends can also join your active session if your multiplayer settings allow it.
  • The Space Anomaly acts as a shared social hub where you can meet other Travellers.
  • Up to 8 players can share the Anomaly on consoles and 32 on PC.
  • Nexus missions support groups of up to four players.
  • Each player keeps their own save progress.

Overview

No Man's Sky multiplayer lets you explore the universe with friends, share resources, and tackle missions together. It is entirely optional, the full game works solo, but playing with others makes large projects like base building and Nexus missions faster and more social.

Inviting Friends from the Main Menu

The easiest way to play with a specific friend is to invite them before loading your save:

  1. From the main menu, select Join Game or Invite Friends depending on your platform.
  2. Choose the friend you want to play with.
  3. Load into their session or let them load into yours.

This method places you in the same star system or near your friend, depending on your save state.

Joining an Active Session

If you are already playing, friends can join your session if your multiplayer privacy settings allow it. You can set this to:

  • No one: solo only
  • Friends only: friends can join
  • Anyone: open to public players

These settings are found in the Network options of the settings menu.

The Space Anomaly

The Space Anomaly is the central multiplayer hub. It appears naturally during the Artemis Path and can be summoned from any system once unlocked. Inside the Anomaly you can:

  • Meet other Travellers in a shared instance.
  • Accept Nexus missions for up to four players.
  • Visit vendors, the Quicksilver Synthesis Companion, and the Egg Sequencer.
  • Show off your ship, companion, and appearance.

The Anomaly is also where you claim community rewards and interact with special event NPCs.

Not everything social has to run through it, though. If you share your base coordinates, a friend can visit and race a track you built, since a best lap saves with the base and a visitor who beats it takes the top slot. The Exocraft racing guide covers laying one out.

What You Can Do Together

Multiplayer supports most activities:

  • Explore the same planets and star systems.
  • Build bases collaboratively.
  • Share resources by dropping items or using refiners.
  • Complete Nexus missions.
  • Fight pirates and Sentinels as a group.
  • Visit each other's freighters and settlements.

Your save progress remains separate. Visiting a friend's base does not overwrite your own, and earning Units in their session stays on your save.

Cross-Platform Play

No Man's Sky supports cross-platform multiplayer. Players on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch can meet in the Anomaly and join sessions. Cross-save through Hello Games Cloud lets you use the same save across platforms.

See the cross-save guide for account linking details.

Multiplayer Tips

  • Turn off multiplayer when using community-shared coordinates for ships or multi-tools. This prevents another player from claiming the item first.
  • Communicate before starting a Nexus mission so all group members are ready to launch.
  • Base building permissions can be adjusted so friends can edit your base.
  • Shared resources are helpful, but each player still needs their own quest progress for story missions.

Playing Across Platforms

Crossplay is on by default, so a PC player and a console player can share a session. The crossplay and co-op guide covers platform support and how to add friends across stores.

FAQ

Can I play the story in co-op?

You can be in the same session while doing story missions, but each player progresses their own quest log independently. Some objectives require each player to interact with terminals individually.

Will my friend see my base if they join me?

Yes. Bases upload to the server and are visible to other players in your session or the same system. Make sure your base is uploaded from the Base Computer.

Can other players steal my ships or resources?

No. Ships and freighters are tied to your save. Other players cannot take your items unless you drop them on the ground for trade.

What happens if I die in multiplayer?

Death works the same as in solo play. You respawn at your last save point and can return to your grave to recover inventory, depending on your difficulty settings.

Is voice chat supported?

No built-in voice chat is included. Most players use platform party chat or third-party voice apps.

Keep Exploring

Key Takeaways

  • Invite friends from the main menu or allow them to join your active session.
  • The Space Anomaly is the shared hub for meeting players and running Nexus missions.
  • Most activities support co-op, but story quest progress is individual.
  • Cross-platform play and cross-save expand who you can play with.
  • Turn off multiplayer when hunting shared coordinates to avoid losing rare finds.