No Man's Sky's "Next" Update Out Now On PS4, Xbox One, And PC

No Man's Sky's big Next update is now available for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. The free update makes sweeping visual improvements and introduces a number of much-requested features to the ambitious sci-fi exploration game, including multiplayer, enhanced base building, a third-person perspective, and more.

Multiplayer is the most significant addition to No Man's Sky. Now, players are able to form a small team with friends or other random players and explore the universe together. Developer Hello Games says players are also able to fight with friends and foes in "epic space battles," as well as race exocraft together across planets.

As previously mentioned, base building has also been overhauled in the Next update. Now, players are able to own multiple bases, which can be constructed anywhere on a planet. The complexity and size limits of the bases you're able to build have also been "dramatically" increased, while "hundreds" of new base parts have been introduced to the game.

Additionally, the Next update introduces the ability to command freighters. Players can now assemble and upgrade a fleet of frigates, then send them out into the universe or use them to help explore a particular system. Players can also invite friends on board to embark on multiplayer missions together from the Galactic Commission Station.

Finally, the Next update overhauls nearly every facet of No Man's Sky's visuals. Hello Games says it has "dramatically improved planetary terrain generation, ground textures, water, and clouds." Ships, NPCs, and buildings have likewise received visual improvements, and the entire game is now playable from either a first-person or third-person perspective, both on-foot and in spaceships.

You can find the full patch notes for the update on the game's official website. Next is the fourth major update No Man's Sky has received since it first launched back in 2016, but it won't be the extent of the content coming to the title. Hello Games says it plans to continue supporting No Man's Sky with weekly missions and events, the first of which are slated to kick off next week.