You just picked up No Man's Sky on Steam, your best friend plays it on their PS5, and you’ve been dying to explore uncharted planets and build shared bases together. The first question on your mind is obvious: is no man's sky cross platform multiplayer supported across all the systems you and your crew use? I’ve spent hundreds of hours hopping between PC, Xbox, and Switch versions of the game, so I’ve tested every crossplay scenario to break down exactly what works, what doesn’t, and how to get your group connected fast.
How Does No Man's Sky Cross Platform Multiplayer Work Across Devices?
Hello Games rolled out full crossplay support back in 2020, so all current official versions of the game support cross platform play between every supported system. That means you can play with friends no matter if they own the game on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo Switch, with no extra purchases or subscriptions required beyond what your individual platform demands. Crossplay is enabled by default on all versions, so you don’t have to dig through menus to turn it on unless you previously disabled it to play solo only.
Lobby sizes do vary slightly by platform, though. PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S lobbies support up to 32 players at once, while PS4, Xbox One, and Switch lobbies cap at 8 players total. If you’re playing in a mixed group with Switch users, the lobby will automatically adjust to the 8-player limit to accommodate the lower processing power of the portable console. All core multiplayer features, from shared base building to joint expedition runs and space battles, work the same across all platforms regardless of lobby size.
Step-by-Step to Join Cross Platform Friends in No Man's Sky
Joining friends on different platforms is a little different from joining friends on the same console, since platform-specific friend lists don’t carry over across systems. You’ll use Hello Games’ built-in friend system instead, which works the same for every version of the game. Follow these simple steps to get your group connected in minutes:
This process works the same no matter what combination of platforms you and your friends use, so you don’t have to follow different steps for PS vs PC cross platform multiplayer in No Man's Sky. If you’re hosting a shared base build or community event, you can also share your system’s coordinates so friends can warp to you even if your session is temporarily full. That means you don’t have to stick to only playing with people who own the same console as you, which opens up way more opportunities for group events like community base builds or shared expeditions.
Common Cross Platform Multiplayer Issues (And Easy Fixes)
Even with full crossplay support, you might run into occasional connection issues, especially if you or your friends have spotty internet. Most issues are easy to fix without any technical know-how, as long as you know where to look. Double check that all players have installed the latest game update first – if one person is running an older version, you won’t be able to join each other’s lobbies, no matter what platforms you’re on.
If you can’t see your friend on your in-game friend list, make sure they didn’t accidentally set their lobby to “Private” instead of “Friends Only” or “Public”. Another common issue is lag during shared base builds, especially if one player is on Switch and others are on high-end PCs. You can fix most lag by turning off base part effects like neon lights or animated decorations when you’re playing in a cross platform group. Avoid sharing large, complex base builds with Switch players – the console’s limited processing power can cause crashes if the base has more than 3,000 parts. If you keep getting disconnected mid-session, try restarting your router or switching to a wired internet connection if you’re on Wi-Fi. That works for 90% of random disconnects, in my experience.
What Cross Platform Features Aren’t Supported in No Man's Sky?
For the most part, cross platform play works seamlessly, but there are a few small limitations you should know about before you plan a multi-day group play session. First, cross save support is only available if you link your account to a Hello Games account, but you can only transfer saves between PC and Xbox, or PS4 and PS5 – you can’t transfer a PS save to a Nintendo Switch, for example. That means if you start playing on PS5 and later buy the game for Switch, you’ll have to start a new save file, even if you can still play cross platform with your old friends.
Modded PC lobbies are not compatible with console players. If you’re running mods on your PC version of No Man's Sky, you won’t be able to join console players’ lobbies, and they won’t be able to join yours, unless you disable all mods first. That’s a safety measure from Hello Games to prevent modders from breaking console players’ save files or ruining their gameplay experience. Third, some limited-time pre-order rewards are platform-exclusive occasionally, but those are rare and usually don’t apply to standard expedition rewards that all players can earn through regular gameplay.
At the end of the day, the answer to is no man's sky cross platform multiplayer is a resounding yes, with very few small limitations that are easy to work around for most players. Whether you’re hopping on for a quick weekend exploration run with friends across different consoles, or planning a months-long shared base build with a global group of players, crossplay support makes it easier than ever to enjoy everything No Man's Sky has to offer with the people you want to play with. Just make sure everyone is on the same game version, has added each other via in-game friend codes, and adjusts their settings to match your group’s needs, and you’ll be exploring uncharted planets together in no time.
