If you’ve booted up No Man’s Sky for the first time after the 2026 Frontiers of Vela update, you’re probably overwhelmed by just how much there is to dig into. Long gone are the days of the sparse initial launch; Hello Games has spent years expanding the universe to include everything from farming sim mechanics to cross-platform multiplayer raids. If you’re asking what can you do in No Man's Sky right now, the short answer is almost anything you can imagine for an interstellar adventure. I’ve put 300+ hours into the game since the latest update dropped, so I’m breaking down the most fun, rewarding activities you can prioritize to avoid getting lost in the infinite procedural universe.
Core Exploration Activities: What Can You Do in No Man's Sky for New Players
If you’re still getting used to your starship controls and resource crafting, stick to low-stakes exploration first to build up your inventory and currency. The first activity every new player should try is full planetary scanning, where you catalog every plant, creature, and mineral on a single world. Full creature catalogs for medium-sized planets reward up to 2,500 nanites, which you can use to buy critical upgrades for your scanner, exosuit, and starship way faster than grinding common resources.
You can also hunt for crashed starships scattered across most planets. These ships are free to claim if you can repair their core systems, and you can often find upgraded S-class starships worth millions of units for no cost if you explore uninhabited worlds. I stumbled on a fully functional S-class fighter on my third day playing last year, and it saved me months of grinding for units to buy a comparable ship from a space station.
Don’t sleep on following alien distress signals either. These points of interest lead to everything from free upgrade modules to unique lore encounters that flesh out the game’s universe, and they’re usually marked clearly on your scanner once you get within 10,000 units of a site.
Endgame Content for Veteran Players in 2026
Once you’ve got a fully upgraded exosuit, starship, and stack of units to spare, there’s still tons of high-reward content to work through. The 2026 update added a host of new endgame features that give long-time players concrete goals to work toward, rather than just aimless exploration. Some of the most popular endgame activities right now include:
You can also work your way toward the center of the galaxy if you haven’t already. The 2026 update added new story beats for players who reach the core, including a unique ending that changes based on the choices you make throughout your playthrough. It takes most players 40-60 hours to reach the center if you prioritize the main story path, so it’s a great long-term goal to work toward.
Multiplayer and Community-Focused Activities
No Man’s Sky’s cross-platform multiplayer works seamlessly across all devices as of the 2026 update, so you can team up with friends no matter what console or PC storefront they use. One of the most popular multiplayer activities right now is building cross-platform shared bases with friends. You can build everything from small outposts to massive floating cities, and you can set permissions so only your friends can access or modify your builds.
Hello Games also hosts monthly community build contests in 2026, where players submit their best base designs for a chance to win rare quicksilver rewards and have their base featured on official public planets that all players can visit. My friend group submitted an underwater research base we built on a 90% water planet last month, and we won 5,000 quicksilver that we used to buy exclusive building parts.
If you don’t have friends who play the game, you can still join public lobbies to team up for freighter raids, trade rare resources with other players, or even visit other people’s bases to get inspiration for your own builds. There are also tons of active Discord servers where players organize group events and share tips for rare finds.
Low-Stakes, Casual Activities for Relaxed Play Sessions
You don’t have to grind for upgrades or complete missions every time you boot up the game. No Man’s Sky has tons of casual activities that are perfect for when you’re tired after a long day and just want to unwind. The 2026 update expanded the companion breeding system, so you can catch, raise, and breed alien pets that follow you around, help you mine resources, and even fight hostile creatures for you. Some rare pets can grow to be as big as your starship, and you can ride them across the surface of planets for faster exploration.
Farming and cooking are also super popular casual activities right now. You can build hydroponic farms in your base or on your freighter to grow all kinds of alien crops, then use those crops to cook meals that give you temporary buffs like extra stamina or higher unit rewards for sales. You can sell excess food to NPCs for a steady passive income, or gift it to other players as a fun, low-cost present.
Don’t sleep on the upgraded photo mode filters added in 2026 either. You can take stunning shots of alien sunsets, unique creatures, or your latest base build, and share them on the game’s official community hub or social media. I spend at least 30 minutes every play session just flying around to different planets to take photos, and it’s one of my favorite parts of the game these days.
No Man’s Sky’s 2026 updates have turned the game into a truly universal sandbox where you never run out of new things to try. Whether you’re a new player still figuring out how to navigate your first star system or a long-time veteran looking for a new endgame goal, asking what can you do in No Man's Sky will always get you a new, exciting answer every few months when Hello Games drops its next free update. Don’t be afraid to wander off the beaten path, try something you haven’t done before, and make your own story in the stars.
