No Man’s Sky Fractal focuses on VR experience for all with added PSVR2 support, more

Today, Hello Games is announcing the first No Man’s Sky update for 2023: Fractal. Delivering a complete revamp in VR, you’ll also find additional features for all players. Timed with the launch of PlayStation VR2, this No Man’s Sky update marks yet another free expansion to the game, which hasn’t had a paid DLC since it launched back in 2016. Are you ready to earn the Utopia Speeder starship, which lets you “skim across planet surfaces at high velocity”? Keep reading to find out all we know about No Man’s Sky Fractal.

Are you ready for a completely revamped VR experience?

While the No Man’s Sky Fractal update is somewhat focused around the complete VR overhaul in conjunction with the PSVR2 launch today, there is also a slew of other things coming out for players on all systems.

We’ll start out by diving into the VR refresh. Originally introduced back in 2019, there’s a lot about No Man’s Sky in VR that needed updating. Not only will PSVR2 gamers benefit from this but all platforms which support VR are being reworked here. There are new immersive controls and next-generation visuals, as well as other improvements that bring added quality of life to VR gamers. You can now play the entirety of No Man’s Sky in VR without any type of compromise as well as enjoy new levels of immersion. Those on PlayStation 5 with PSVR2 will also enjoy reflections, terrain tessellation, increased draw distance, and denser foliage, as well as ultra quality textures and refractions.

There are also PSVR2-specific functions, including headset vibrations, 3D audio, and intelligent tracking alongside haptic feedback and adaptive trigger support. You’ll be able to swap between VR and standard gameplay with ease and continue from an existing non-VR save in full virtual reality.

Another VR-exclusive function is the ability to lift open your starship’s cockpit, reach out, and grab the controls to take to the skies. There’s a full 360 degrees of view around your starship and cockpit as well, which gives an unparalleled amount of immersion. This comes from complete head and hand tracking, which makes interactions in No Man’s Sky VR “intuitive, tactile and immersive.”

Now, onto what all the other platforms can look forward to in No Man’s Sky Fractal. Switch, PlayStation, and Steam Deck gamers will now all be able to enjoy gyroscopic controls, which make exploring and scanning new discoveries “more comfortable and precise than ever.” The Wonder Catalogue now shows off the “most incredible discoveries,” ranging from “tallest mountains to strangest creatures,” giving you a detailed record of the journey thus far. And those on Switch can enjoy a lot of new content, including the ability to access the Nexus and Quicksilver missions as well as the Trace of Metal story, which adds a drone companion and upgrades to the Minotaur Exomech.

The game’s options have also been overhauled, including the addition of new accessibility features, which “gives you even more control over the way you play and experience the game.”

Last year was filled with quite a few updates to No Man’s Sky, including Sentinel, Outlaws, Leviathan, Endurance, and Waypoint, plus the launch of Steam Deck and Switch support. Hello Games says they’re planning an even bigger year for 2023, and Fractal/PSVR2 support is just the starting point.

9to5Toys’ Take

No Man’s Sky is probably one of my longest-running favorite games. I backed it with a pre-order way back in 2016 and played it at midnight on launch day…only to set the game down and forget about it for a few years. However, multiple (free) updates later, the game had turned into what I originally wanted it to be, and I loved everything about it. Since then, I have sunk many hundreds of hours, possibly thousands, into No Man’s Sky.

Now, with the first free update of 2023 underway and a lot more on the horizon, according to Sean and the Hello Games team, I’m very excited about what the title has to offer us this year. While I was hoping to see macOS support finally rolled out by the team already, it’s something that I’m looking forward to eventually happening, and it’ll only bring my immersion and playability of the game to the next level.

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