Exploring the infinite procedurally generated universe of No Man’s Sky is fun alone, but traversing alien worlds, building shared bases, and taking down pirate fleets with friends makes the experience ten times better. If you’ve been stuck figuring out how to join a friend in No Man’s Sky, you’re not alone — crossplay restrictions, network settings, and in-game invitation quirks trip up new and returning players all the time. This guide breaks down every step for all platforms, plus fixes for the most common issues that block co-op sessions.
Pre-Requisites to Join a Friend in No Man’s Sky
Before you even open the friends menu, there are a few non-negotiable boxes you need to check to access multiplayer features. Skipping these steps is the number one reason players get error messages when trying to connect, so it’s worth double-checking each one first. You will not see multiplayer options at all until you complete the first "Awakening" quest milestone and leave your starting star system.
Next, confirm that both you and your friend are running the exact same version of the game. Hello Games releases frequent patches with new content and bug fixes, and even a small version mismatch will block cross-platform and same-platform connections entirely. If you play on console, make sure automatic updates are enabled, or manually check for updates in your platform’s game library. Finally, link your Hello Games account through the in-game settings if you plan to play with people on different platforms; this account acts as the universal crossplay ID for all No Man’s Sky players.
Step-by-Step Process to Join a Friend’s Session
Once you’ve checked all the pre-requisites, joining a friend’s session only takes a few clicks, no matter what platform you’re on. If you’re playing with someone on the same platform, their name will automatically show up in your in-game friends list as long as you’re friends on that platform’s network. For crossplay friends, you’ll need to add their Hello Games ID first through the “Add Friend” menu in the Network tab.
If you spawn a few thousand units away from your friend when you first join, don’t panic — that’s a normal sync quirk. You can fast travel to the Space Anomaly and they will be waiting near the entrance, or ask them to drop a temporary beacon so you can fly directly to their position. A lot of players like to test their co-op setup before planning a big group expedition, especially if they’re trying out new game modes or challenging content like sentinel pillar raids or freighter battles. If you want to kill a few minutes while waiting for your friend to finish a quest or update their game, you can load up AAGAME for a quick casual break that doesn’t require you to close out of No Man’s Sky entirely.
Common Connection Issues and Quick Fixes
Even if you follow all the steps perfectly, you might run into occasional connection errors, especially during busy periods right after a new content update drops. Most of these issues have simple fixes that take less than a minute to try, so you don’t have to give up on your co-op plans right away. Always verify that both you and your friend have installed the latest No Man’s Sky patch before attempting to connect.
If you get a “Session Not Found” error when trying to join, it usually means your friend has their session set to private, or one of you has crossplay disabled. Ask them to check their session privacy settings in the Network tab, and confirm crossplay is toggled on for both accounts. If you get a “Failed to Sync Session” error, the issue is almost always related to your internet connection. Try switching from Wi-Fi to a wired ethernet connection, or restarting your router to reset your NAT type. All No Man’s Sky co-op sessions have a maximum limit of 4 total players, regardless of platform. If you’re trying to join a session that already has 4 players, you will get an error until someone leaves the group.
Fun Activities to Try After You Join a Friend
Once you’re successfully in the same session, you have the entire No Man’s Sky universe to explore together, and there are tons of co-op exclusive activities that are way more fun with a group. Many new players just wander around aimlessly when they first join a friend, but planning a small group activity will make the experience way more memorable. You can start small by scanning rare flora and fauna together to earn extra nanites, or take on bigger challenges as you get more comfortable playing together.
Some of the most popular co-op activities include building a shared base on an exotic planet, taking down pirate capital freighters to earn millions of units in loot, and completing limited-time expedition milestones to unlock exclusive cosmetic rewards. You can also team up to take on sentinel pillars for rare upgrade modules, or race your exocrafts across the surface of a barren planet for silly bragging rights. All progress you make while in a friend’s session carries over to your single-player save, so you never have to worry about losing earned resources or quest progress. Even if you leave the session early, any bases you build, items you collect, and quests you complete will stay with your save file.
At the end of the day, figuring out how to join a friend in No Man’s Sky only takes a few quick steps once you know what pre-requisites to check and what common bugs to watch out for. Whether you’re planning a casual weekend of base building or a long run of challenging endgame content, playing with friends turns No Man’s Sky’s already massive universe into something even more memorable. Don’t let small connection errors stop you — follow the steps above, and you’ll be exploring alien worlds with your favorite people in no time.
