If you’re clearing space on your console or hard drive to dive into Hello Games’ sprawling open-universe exploration title, the first question you’re probably asking is how many gigs is No Man’s Sky. I’ve downloaded and reinstalled this game across three different platforms over the last seven years, so I’ve got first-hand experience with how much its install size has shifted as regular free updates add new planets, modes, and quality of life features. It’s not just a static number, either—factors like mods, platform-specific optimizations, and optional high-resolution texture packs can make the total size much larger than the base install.
How Many Gigs Is No Man’s Sky By Platform?
If you’re wondering how many gigs is No Man’s Sky for your specific setup, we’ve broken down average base install sizes for every active platform below. These numbers reflect the latest version of the game with all official content updates included, as of the most recent patch. Sizes may vary slightly by region based on local language pack support.
Base install sizes are as follows: 16GB for Windows PC, 17GB for PlayStation 5, 12GB for PlayStation 4, 18GB for Xbox Series X/S, 11GB for Xbox One, and 10GB for Nintendo Switch. Base install sizes do not include save files, which are usually less than 1GB even for 100+ hour playthroughs. Next-gen console versions tend to be larger because they include built-in high-resolution texture and 3D audio assets that are separate downloads for PC players.
Factors That Increase No Man’s Sky Total Install Size
If you’ve noticed your install is way larger than the base numbers we shared earlier, these common factors explain why your answer to how many gigs is No Man’s Sky is higher than expected. Most of these are optional additions you can choose to skip if you’re short on storage space. Mods that alter core game files will also require you to re-download part of the base game if you verify file integrity later, so factor that in if you regularly modify your game.
You can safely delete cached exploration data if you don’t plan to revisit old planets, with no impact on your core save progress. The game will simply re-download or re-generate planet data if you do decide to go back later, with only a slightly longer initial load time for that specific world.
Simple Tips to Reduce No Man’s Sky Storage Footprint
If you’re struggling to fit the game on your primary drive, there are a few easy tweaks you can make to cut down its total size without ruining your play experience. None of these changes will lock you out of existing saves, and you can reverse them any time if you decide you want the extra features back later.
First, uninstall the high-resolution texture pack if you play on a 1080p or lower resolution screen. The texture difference is barely noticeable at lower resolutions, and you’ll free up 8 to 10GB of space instantly. Second, go through your mod folder every few months and delete any mods you haven’t used in 30 days or more. Many modders leave old file versions installed even after updates, so cleaning these out can free up a surprising amount of space.
If you only play single-player, you can skip installing optional multiplayer content packs that some platforms offer, saving around 2GB of space. You can also move the full game install to an external HDD if you don’t play it regularly—load times will be slightly longer, but the game will run just as well once you’re in world. Never delete your save file folder when clearing game data, as these are not backed up automatically on all platforms.
Why No Man’s Sky Install Size Has Grown Over Time
When No Man’s Sky first launched in 2016, its total install size was just over 6GB, a tiny footprint even for the time. I remember installing it on my launch PS4 in less than 10 minutes back then, so I’ve watched its size grow steadily as Hello Games rolled out dozens of free content updates. Every major content update adds between 500MB and 2GB of new content, all of which is available to every player for no extra cost.
Unlike most live service titles that lock new content behind paid DLC or season passes, every new feature, biome, creature type, and game mode is added directly to the base game install. Features like base building, fleet management, cross-platform multiplayer, virtual reality support, and procedurally generated settlements all add to the total file size, but the dev team does regular optimization passes to compress files and remove unused old data to keep bloat to a minimum.
You won’t ever have to download separate DLC packs to play with friends who have purchased extra content, either—everyone who owns the base game has access to 100% of the released content, no extra purchases required.
At the end of the day, the answer to how many gigs is No Man’s Sky depends entirely on your platform and how you choose to customize your game. For most casual players, the base 12 to 18GB install is small enough to fit alongside your other favorite titles without too much extra storage planning. If you’re a modder or love playing with maximum graphical settings, you’ll want to set aside 30GB or more to accommodate extra packs and customization. Either way, it’s a tiny footprint for a game that offers literally billions of explorable planets and hundreds of hours of content to enjoy.
