No Man’s Sky is often cited as the main example when we talk about games that flopped at launch and ended up undergoing a huge redemption arc. Since its launch, Hello Games has worked tirelessly to improve the game and add all of the features that were initially promised, then went even further and beyond. All of its updates, including the latest Cosmos, have been free. And now, Hello Games has just announced that No Man’s Sky will be available on iOS at the end of October.
Hello Games wants to be clear that this is not some “lite” version of No Man’s Sky. On the contrary, this is the full version of the game running natively on iOS devices. The team does state that the only limitations are that the iOS version does not have any multiplayer or settlements features on day one. There’s no word on when these will be implemented. The Switch 1 version didn’t have those features either, though they were later added to the Switch 2 build.
Furthermore, the file size of No Man’s Sky on iOS only comes in at GB, and Hello Games has stated that they’ve “put tons of work into battery life and thermodynamics,” ensuring that the game can be enjoyed in “long comfortable play sessions” on iOS.
This mobile version of the game will be available for pre-orders on Oct. 12 as part of the Apple App Store’s Indie Games Week, and will be released fully on Oct. 28. In addition to that, the game will also be free to try at launch, so you’ll get a little taste of how it runs on phones and tablets before committing to it fully.
In Sean Murray’s deep dive video of the iOS version, he mentions that the game works really well with touch controls, especially with menu navigation. By and large, the game does seem to run pretty smoothly, though my one gripe with mobile games is that the virtual analog sticks just never feel good to use. Unless you’re attaching an external gamepad or controller to your iOS device, you’ll need to use the virtual sticks on screen, and that can make your screen feel really cramped especially if you’re playing on an iPhone.
And if you’re going to play it on your iPad instead for more screen real estate, well then why wouldn’t you just play on the Switch 2 at that point, like I am? I have little doubt that it’ll run beautifully; I’m just not quite sure No Man’s Sky is the type of game I want to play on my iPhone.
No Man’s Sky is now available on PC and consoles, and will come to iOS on Oct. 28.
