If you’ve ever had your view blocked by your ship’s giant wing mid-atmosphere entry, or you want a more immersive feel when crawling through alien cave systems, knowing how to change camera in No Man's Sky is one of the first quality-of-life skills every new player should pick up. I’ve sunk over 400 hours into the game across PC, PlayStation, and Switch, and I still tweak my camera settings multiple times per play session depending on what I’m doing, from base building to pirate combat. This guide works for all platforms, no paid DLC or mods required, though we’ll cover optional modded options for PC players later on. You won’t have to dig through hidden menus for 10 minutes to make these changes, either.
How to Change Camera in No Man's Sky Across All Game Modes
The base game makes figuring out how to change camera in No Man's Sky incredibly simple, no matter if you’re on foot, piloting a starship, driving an exocraft, or riding a giant alien creature you tamed last session. The default controls are consistent across all activities, so you don’t have to memorize different bindings for each context. If you’ve rebound your controls for accessibility or personal preference, you can find the exact camera toggle binding in the Controls tab of the main menu under the “View” section. If you’re still having issues accessing the toggle after checking your bindings, try restarting the game to fix any temporary glitches that might be blocking the input.
- PC: Press V by default to cycle between first and third-person views, or hold the key to open the quick camera menu for fine-tuned adjustments
- PlayStation / Xbox: Press down on the D-pad twice quickly to cycle views, or hold the button down to pull up the full camera adjustment menu
- Nintendo Switch: Press the minus (-) button twice to cycle between views, or hold it to access offset and FOV sliders on the go
One thing to note is that your camera view changes only affect your personal perspective, even in multiplayer lobbies. If you swap to third-person view when playing with friends, they won’t see any change to how your character or ship looks on their screen. You can also set default camera views for each activity in the Display menu, so the game automatically switches to your preferred view when you hop in a ship or start building a base.
Best Camera Settings for Common No Man's Sky Activities
There’s no “correct” camera view for every situation, and swapping between them regularly will make your play sessions far more enjoyable. I’ve tested every combination across hundreds of hours of gameplay, and these are the settings I default to for most common tasks.
For general on-foot exploration and resource gathering, first-person view is ideal for resource mining because it lets you line up your mining laser perfectly without your character model blocking the node you’re trying to hit. It also feels far more immersive when you’re walking through a storm on a frozen planet, with snow blowing directly in front of your face. If you’re scanning for rare fauna or trying to spot hidden treasure chests, swap to third-person to get a wider view of your surroundings without spinning your character around constantly.
For space combat, third-person ship view is the best pick for most players because you can see incoming fire from all directions, not just what’s in front of your cockpit. I used to swear by first-person combat until I started getting ambushed by pirates from behind every other jump; switching to third-person cut my combat death rate by almost 60% in my first week of using it. If you’re just flying through empty space to admire nebula views, first-person cockpit view is still a great pick for immersion.
For base building, always use third-person view pulled as far back as possible. This lets you see the full scope of your build, so you don’t accidentally place a wall that clips through your existing roof or miss gaps in your perimeter. You can adjust the third-person offset slider in the Display menu to pull the camera even further back if you’re working on a large, multi-level base.
Troubleshooting Common Camera Change Issues
Most camera issues in No Man's Sky are easy to fix, no reinstall required. These are the three most common problems I’ve run into, and the quick fixes that work every time.
If your camera toggle button isn’t working at all, first check if you’re in a locked context. You can’t change camera view during critical story beats, cutscenes, or active NPC interactions, so wait 10 to 15 seconds to see if the interaction wraps up before trying again. If it still doesn’t work, open the main menu and check your control bindings to make sure you didn’t accidentally rebind the camera toggle to another key.
If your camera is stuck clipping through your ship, character, or exocraft, head to the Display tab in the Options menu and adjust the third-person camera offset sliders. You can move the camera left, right, up, down, or further back to stop it from clipping through solid objects. I had this issue when I first bought my large S-class freighter, and adjusting the offset by 15% fixed the problem immediately.
If your photo mode camera is too zoomed in or won’t move where you want it, use the right stick (or mouse wheel on PC) to zoom in and out, and adjust the FOV slider in the photo mode menu to get wider shots. You can also toggle collision off in the photo mode menu to move the camera through walls and solid objects for interior base shots.
Custom Camera Mods for Extra Flexibility (PC Only)
The base game’s camera options are more than enough for most players, but if you want even more control over your view, there are a few trusted, well-maintained mods that add extra functionality. These are all completely safe to use in single-player, but note that most public multiplayer servers block custom mods to prevent cheating.
Always download mods from trusted, community-vetted sources to avoid malware or issues with your game install. The most popular camera mod right now is the Free Camera Overhaul, which lets you move the camera anywhere on the map, even thousands of units away from your character, perfect for capturing wide landscape shots or checking out distant planets without flying to them.
Another fan favorite is the First Person Enhancements mod, which fixes the jittery first-person movement that some players experience when running or jumping, and lets you adjust the FOV higher than the base game’s 100 maximum limit. This is a great pick for players who get motion sickness from low FOV settings.
If you hate adjusting your camera settings every time you switch between on-foot exploration and ship flight, the Third Person Camera Preset mod lets you save custom camera positions for each activity, so the game automatically swaps to your preferred view as soon as you hop in your ship or get out to explore.
At the end of the day, No Man's Sky is all about playing the way you want, and camera settings are one of the easiest ways to tailor the game to your preferences. Now that you know how to change camera in No Man's Sky, you can swap between views in seconds to get the best angle for exploration, combat, building, or photos. Don’t be afraid to mess with the sliders and test different views until you find what feels most comfortable for you, instead of sticking to the default settings just because that’s what the game starts with. I still tweak my camera settings every few weeks, even after hundreds of hours of play, as I find new activities I enjoy.
