If you’ve spent dozens of hours hopping between star systems in No Man’s Sky and started craving a little extra flair or quality of life changes, you’re not alone. I’ve logged over 300 hours in the game, and after my third playthrough, I started looking for ways to cut down on tedious resource grinding and add more unique creature variants to my runs. That’s when I started researching how to install mods no man's sky, and I quickly learned that the process is way simpler than I thought, as long as you follow a few basic rules to avoid ruining your progress. The last thing you want is to lose a 100-hour save file because you skipped a simple backup step, right? This guide walks you through every part of the process, from picking safe mods to troubleshooting common issues after installation.
Pre-Install Checks to Avoid Corrupted Saves and Game Crashes
Before you even download a single mod, there are three non-negotiable steps you need to take to protect your game and your progress. I learned this the hard way when I first tried installing a ship customization mod a few years back and lost my entire fleet of exotic ships because I skipped a backup. Don’t make that same mistake.
- Back up all your save files first. You can find them in your user folder under AppData/Roaming/HelloGames/NMS on PC, or in your console’s cloud storage if you’re playing on a supported platform. Copy the entire folder to a separate location on your desktop or an external drive so you can restore it if something goes wrong.
- Confirm your game version matches the mod’s supported version. No Man’s Sky gets regular free updates, and mods made for an older version may not work with the latest release. Most mod pages will list exactly which game build they’re compatible with, so double check before you download.
- Disable cross-play and online multiplayer temporarily before installing mods. Many mods won’t work in multiplayer lobbies, and some can even get you temporarily banned from public sessions if you’re running modified game files while connected to official servers.
If you’re planning to use a mod manager, that’s totally fine, but you still need to run these checks first. Mod managers can simplify installation, but they don’t automatically check for version compatibility or back up your saves for you. I prefer to do these steps manually every time, even when I use a manager, just to be 100% sure I’m not risking my progress.
Step-by-Step: How to Install Mods for No Man’s Sky Two Different Ways
There are two popular methods for installing NMS mods, and both work well depending on how much control you want over your mod load order. I’ve used both extensively, and I usually recommend the manual method for people who only want 2 or 3 mods, and the mod manager method for anyone who plans to run 10+ mods at once. If you’ve never tried modding the game before, this process for how to install mods no man's sky is foolproof even for total beginners.
For manual installation, first locate your No Man’s Sky game folder. If you got the game on Steam, you can find it by right clicking the game in your library, selecting “Manage,” then “Browse local files.” Open the “GAMEDATA” folder, then the “PCBANKS” folder. Look for a file named DISABLEMODS.TXT and delete it, or rename it to something like DISABLEMODS.OLD if you want to keep it as a backup. Create a new folder named MODS inside the PCBANKS folder if it doesn’t already exist. All you have to do next is drag and drop the .pak mod files you downloaded into this MODS folder, and you’re done.
If you’re using a popular mod manager, the process is even simpler. First install the manager and link it to your No Man’s Sky game folder when prompted. Most managers will automatically detect your game version and create the MODS folder for you if it’s missing. You can then download mods directly through the manager interface, or add downloaded .pak files by selecting the “import mod” option. The biggest benefit of using a manager is that it lets you adjust mod load order with a simple drag and drop, which is critical if you’re running multiple mods that modify the same game files. Load order determines which mod takes priority if two files conflict, so being able to adjust that easily saves a lot of troubleshooting time later.
Common Mod Installation Mistakes to Avoid at All Costs
Even if you follow the installation steps perfectly, there are a few common mistakes that can cause your game to crash or your saves to corrupt. I’ve made almost all of these at some point, so I can tell you exactly what to watch out for.
First, don’t mix mod versions from different game updates. If you’re running the latest Echoes update, for example, a mod made for the older Frontiers update will almost certainly break your game. Many mod authors update their work within a few weeks of a new game release, so be patient and wait for an updated version instead of trying to force an old mod to work. Don’t install multiple mods that modify the same core game feature unless the mod pages explicitly say they’re compatible. For example, two mods that both change how terrain generation works will almost always conflict, even if you adjust the load order. Most mod authors list known incompatibilities on their mod pages, so read the full description before you download.
Another common mistake is forgetting to remove old mod files before installing an updated version of the same mod. If you just drag the new .pak file into the MODS folder without deleting the old one, you’ll have two conflicting versions of the same mod running at once, which will almost always cause crashes. I keep a separate folder for old mod versions so I can easily track which ones I’ve replaced. You also don’t want to install mods if you’re playing on a console that doesn’t support modified game files. As of now, mod support is only officially available for PC versions of the game, and installing mods on consoles can lead to permanent account bans from platform services.
How to Test and Troubleshoot Mods After Installation
Once you’ve installed your mods, you don’t want to jump straight into your main 100-hour save file right away. There’s a simple testing process I use every time I add a new mod to make sure everything works as expected.
First, launch the game offline, and start a new temporary save file. Play for 10 to 15 minutes, making sure to test the exact feature the mod modifies. If you installed a faster mining mod, for example, mine a few rocks to see if the effect works as intended, and make sure the game doesn’t crash when you perform that action. If everything works on the temporary save, you can safely close the game and load your main save file. If the game crashes on launch, the first thing to do is check your mod load order. Move the most recently added mod to the bottom of the load order, then try launching again. If that doesn’t work, remove the new mod entirely to confirm it’s the source of the issue. You can also check the mod’s comment section to see if other users are reporting the same problem, as that can tell you if it’s a widespread issue with the mod itself or a conflict on your end.
If you notice weird visual glitches or missing textures after installing a mod, that’s almost always a sign that the mod is not compatible with your current game version, or that you’re missing a required dependency mod. Many larger mods require smaller utility mods to work properly, so double check the mod’s description to make sure you’ve downloaded all required files. It’s also a good idea to check for mod updates every time a new No Man’s Sky update drops, as most mods will need to be updated to work with the new game build.
Modding No Man’s Sky can completely transform your playthrough, adding everything from quality of life fixes to entirely new story content and biomes to explore. As long as you follow the prep steps and install mods correctly, you won’t have to worry about losing your progress or breaking your game. I’ve been running 12+ mods on my main playthrough for over a year now, and I haven’t had a single crash or save issue since I started following the steps laid out in this guide. Whether you’re looking to make resource grinding less tedious or add entirely new alien races to the game, taking the time to learn how to install mods no man's sky properly is well worth the small effort. Just remember to back up your saves first, check for compatibility, and test new mods on a temporary save before loading your main file, and you’ll be good to go.
