The Fractal Update for No Man’s Sky has gone live, adding a number of changes to the game that are primarily focused on virtual reality enhancements. This includes support for PlayStation VR 2, but developer Hello Games says that the VR experience has been improved across the board. Players can expect better personal forcefield controls that allow for more intuitive options to deflect enemy attacks, revamped target sweep and hotspot surveying controls for the analysis visor, and several other quality-of-life updates.
For PSVR 2, the Fractal Update adds haptic feedback features that take advantage of the new hardware’s Sense controllers, up to 4K resolution when exploring the galaxy, and other gameplay enhancements unique to the Sony headset. Increased draw distance, denser foliage, terrain tessellation, and reflections are some of the new visual options that users can expect, which are complemented by intelligent tracking, headset vibrations, and 3D audio support.
Beyond the core VR update, there’s also a new Utopia Speeder starship to collect. This spacecraft has increased travel speed when exploring a planet’s surface and can be obtained by completing all of the Utopia Foundation assignments. There’s also a new Fearsome Visor to unlock for your spacesuit, which definitely doesn’t look like it was stolen from Darth Vader’s armory. You can even get a drone companion, as well as other rewards as part of the new campaign.
Beyond that, a number of quality-of-life improvements have been added and include several accessibility features to adjust visual effects, cameras, and controls. Like other updates for the spacefaring simulator, this will be a free download for all No Man’s Sky players on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. In case you missed it, the 4.0 update for No Man’s Sky introduced some big changes to the game when it was released in October 2022, This update, which Hello Games founder Sean Murray described as a “generational jump” for the game, upgraded No Man’s Sky with hundreds of small tweaks and changes.
