If you’ve ever spawned into No Man’s Sky for the first time and stared at your randomly generated traveler thinking they look a little too generic, you’ve almost certainly asked: can you customize your character in no man's sky? The short answer is a resounding yes, and the options go far beyond just picking a new haircut or skin tone. Hello Games has added dozens of layered customization features over years of updates, letting you tweak everything from your character’s facial structure to the look of your multi-tool, starship, and even your pet companions. I’ve spent over 300 hours in the game swapping out looks for my traveler every time I land on a new space station, so I’ve broken down every option you can access without mods, plus a few tips to get the exact look you want.
Where to Access Character Customization in No Man's Sky
You get your first chance to customize your traveler right when you create a new save file, before you even wake up on your starting planet. But if you skipped that step or want to change your look later on, you don’t have to start a new playthrough to do it. The most common spot to adjust your character’s look is the appearance modifier kiosk found in every space station, usually located right next to the landing pad entrance near the mission guild vendors.
Appearance modifiers are 100% free to use for all customization changes, no in-game currency required. You can use them as many times as you want, whenever you dock at a station, with zero impact on your inventory, stats, or story progress. If you don’t feel like flying to a station every time you want to change your look, you can also craft an appearance modifier for your base once you unlock the blueprint from the construction research terminal at the Space Anomaly. I built one right next to my base’s teleporter after I got tired of flying 10 minutes to the nearest station just to change my traveler’s jacket color before a multiplayer hangout with friends.
Core Character Appearance Customization Options You Can Use
The base game’s character customization suite is far more robust than most players realize when they first start playing. All options are organized into clear categories, so you can tweak small details or completely overhaul your traveler’s look in just a few minutes. There are no gender-locked customization options in No Man’s Sky, so you can mix and match every available feature as you please, with no arbitrary restrictions on what hairstyles, clothing, or facial features you can use for your traveler.
Body presets are the first option, with a wide range of heights, builds, and skeletal structures to choose from, plus adjustable skin tones with undertone sliders to get exactly the shade you want. Facial customization lets you adjust everything from eye shape and nose size to jawline and cheekbone placement, plus optional add-ons like scars, tattoos, face paint, and piercings. You can pick from dozens of hairstyles, including short cuts, long braids, and even neon-colored unnatural options, plus customizable hair accessories like headbands and beanies. Clothing options include jackets, pants, boots, gloves, and backpacks, each with hundreds of color swatches and pattern options to match your personal style. New clothing and feature options are added with almost every major game update, so the selection keeps growing every few months.
Beyond the Traveler: Customizing Your Gear and Companions
Character customization doesn’t stop at your traveler’s appearance. You can also customize almost every piece of gear you use regularly, plus the creatures and vehicles you travel with, to create a fully cohesive personal brand as you explore the galaxy. Customizing your multi-tool and starship doesn’t impact their performance stats, so you can pick looks you love without sacrificing combat or exploration capabilities. That means you don’t have to stick to a ugly high-damage multi-tool if you prefer the look of a sleeker, lower-stat model you found earlier in your playthrough.
You can unlock most extra customization items through regular gameplay, no real money purchases required. Some of the easiest ways to build up your collection of cosmetics include:
- Complete limited-time expedition events to earn rare, unobtainable cosmetics for your traveler, ship, and multi-tool
- Finish Nexus side missions at the space anomaly to earn tradeable nanites you can spend on new clothing and decal packs
- Search abandoned outposts and crashed freighters across planets to find hidden custom paint schemes for your starship
- Trade with rare wandering NPCs on exotic planets to unlock unique tattoo and face paint options for your traveler
Modded Customization Options for Advanced Players
If you’re playing No Man’s Sky on PC and want even more customization options than the base game offers, you can use community-made mods to add thousands of extra features. Modders have created everything from new hairstyles and clothing sets to custom character models, cybernetic implants, and fantasy-themed cosmetic packs that let you make a traveler that looks completely unique from anything available in the official game. Most customization mods are easy to install, and work with single-player playthroughs with no issues.
There are a few important caveats to keep in mind before you install any mods, though. Mods are only supported for PC versions of No Man’s Sky, and using them will disable multiplayer access if you don’t turn them off before joining a friend’s lobby. Console players don’t have access to mod support at all, so you’ll be limited to the base game’s customization options if you play on Xbox, PlayStation, or Switch. Never install mods if you plan to participate in official expedition events, as they can lead to your save file being flagged or corrupted. I tested a few popular character customization mods last year, and while I loved the extra neon hair and cyberpunk jacket options, I ended up uninstalling them so I could play multiplayer with my console friends without running into compatibility issues. If you do decide to use mods, only download them from trusted community platforms to avoid malware or broken files that can crash your game.
At the end of the day, if you were wondering can you customize your character in No Man's Sky, you’ve got more options than most other open world space games offer. Whether you want to stick to the base game’s wide range of free options or experiment with PC mods to make something totally unique, you can easily make your traveler feel like a reflection of your personal play style. Don’t be afraid to swap up your look every few hours if you get bored — after all, part of the fun of exploring a near-infinite universe is looking good while you do it. Next time you’re docked at a space station, swing by the appearance modifier and try out a new look you’ve been curious about.
