If you’ve ever landed on a bustling space station only to realize your traveler looks identical to half the other players wandering the docking bay, you’re not alone. One of the most underrated quality of life features Hello Games has added over years of updates is the ability to fully tweak your traveler’s look at almost any point in your playthrough. I’ve spent hours messing with hairstyles, face tattoos, and even exotic alien body types across four different save files, so I’ve put together everything you need to know about how to customize your character in No Man’s Sky, no complicated mods required to start.
How to Customize Your Character in No Man’s Sky for the First Time
When you launch a new save file, the game will walk you through a basic character creation flow before you wake up on your first starting planet. You’ll get to pick from five core species options: human, Gek, Korvax, Vy’keen, and the rare exotic traveler type that unlocks after you complete your first main story playthrough. You can adjust core features like skin tone, face structure, body type, hairstyle, and basic starter clothing from this initial menu. You won’t lose any progress or inventory when you adjust your appearance later, so don’t stress if you can’t pick the perfect look right away. Most of the more unique customization options are locked until you progress a few hours into the game anyway, so your first look will likely feel generic until you unlock more items.
Where to Find Appearance Modifiers Mid-Playthrough
Once you leave your first starting planet, you can edit your character’s look any time you interact with an Appearance Modifier terminal. These terminals are scattered across nearly every populated location in the game, so you’re never too far from a chance to switch up your style. Appearance Modifier use is completely free, no units or nanites required, so you can experiment as much as you want without wasting resources.
- On the lower level of every standard space station, to the left of the main trade terminal as you exit your starship
- Near the community mission board in major planetary settlements with 5 or more NPC residents
- Craftable for your base after you purchase the blueprint from the Construction Research Station on the Space Anomaly for 10 salvaged data
- Occasionally found inside abandoned shelters and crashed freighters for emergency tweaks if you’re far from civilization
How to Unlock Rare Customization Options
The basic options available in the initial character creator are pretty limited, but you can unlock hundreds of unique customization items as you play through the game. Most of these items are cosmetic only, so they don’t give you any gameplay advantage, but they can help you stand out in multiplayer lobbies and make your traveler feel uniquely yours. Most rare customization items are purchased with Quicksilver, the premium currency you earn from weekly community missions on the Space Anomaly. You can browse hundreds of hairstyles, tattoos, armor pieces, emotes, and even pet customization options from the Quicksilver Synthesis Companion on the Anomaly, with new items added every few months with game updates. Some of the most sought-after customization items are only available from limited-time expedition events. Expeditions are seasonal themed playthroughs that run for 4-6 weeks at a time, and you can unlock exclusive armor sets, emotes, and even unique ship skins by completing milestone challenges. Expedition-exclusive customization items never return to the shop, so grab them while you can even if you don’t plan to finish the entire expedition run. You can also unlock race-specific customization items like special Vy’keen faceplates or Gek bioluminescent markings by raising your standing with each of the four main alien factions, which only takes a few hours of turning in faction missions.
Common Character Customization Mistakes to Avoid
I’ve made almost all of these mistakes myself over the years, so I can save you the frustration of wasting resources or losing a look you love. First, don’t forget to back up your favorite looks. The game does not store multiple appearance presets per save, so always back up your favorite looks with screenshots of every slider page so you can replicate them later if you want to switch back. It’s incredibly frustrating to spend an hour crafting the perfect alien traveler look, only to lose it forever when you want to test a new hairstyle. Second, don’t waste Quicksilver on basic customization items you can unlock for free. Lots of common hairstyles, markings, and basic armor pieces are available from faction vendors for free if you raise your standing enough, so there’s no reason to spend your hard-earned Quicksilver on them when you can save it for limited-edition items. Third, don’t spend hours tweaking a fancy helmet design if you play with hazard protection turned off on habitable planets. Your helmet will be hidden 90% of the time in those settings, so most people will never see the work you put into it. Finally, if you play a lot of multiplayer, avoid picking a look that blends in with common NPCs, or your friends will have a hard time spotting you in crowded space stations or large group events.
At the end of the day, your traveler’s look is one of the best ways to leave your personal mark on the infinite procedural galaxy of No Man’s Sky. You don’t need to grind for hundreds of hours to make a character that feels uniquely yours, even small tweaks like a bright neon hairstyle or a custom face tattoo can make every landing and multiplayer meetup feel more personal. Now that you know how to customize your character in No Man’s Sky, you can stop settling for the generic default look you picked on your first planet, and make a traveler that fits exactly how you want to show up in the galaxy.
