[Top 15] Best No Man's Sky Mods

no man's sky best mods
Updated:
20 Feb 2020

Whatever your gaming style, you have to admit that mods make the game more fun. They can also make the game more difficult, if you’re into that. Regardless of what kind of mod you’re looking for, today I’ll be counting down the top 15 best No Man’s Sky mods. Note: These are all for PC as you can’t, to my knowledge, currently mod the Xbox or PS4 versions of the game. If you don’t think that’s fair, take it up with Sony and Microsoft (I, myself, don’t think it’s fair, being a PS4 player so I totally get it).

15) Unlock XO Helmet

Most Amazing Mods in No Man's Sky Next TOP 10 (0:25)

Perhaps you’re tired of your current helmet in the game and just want to look really cool. Or maybe you just think it looks awesome and want to have it for your game. Whatever the reason, the XO helmet is pretty rad.

How It Makes The Game More Fun:

  • This mod adds more customization to your game, making it truly your own.
  • You look super rad with the helmet on.
  • Your face now has a giant X on it, marking you apart from any other travelers or players you may find in your adventures.

Get the mod here.

14) Metal Spaceships

Most Amazing Mods in No Man's Sky Next TOP 10 (1:00)

If you’re anything like me, you’re sick of the plastic looking ships in No Man’s Sky. Starships should look more space ready, not like something you pulled out of the now defunct Toys’R’Us. If you’re like me, this mod is for you.

How It Makes The Game More Fun:

  • It makes the spaceships look like metal.
  • It adds customization to your game, again, making it completely your own.
  • No more plastic looking ships!

Get the mod here.

13) Realistic Reshade

Most Amazing Mods in No Man's Sky Next TOP 10 (1:30)

The clouds on this game are absolutely ridiculous. They move too fast, they don’t look real, and it’s not even just the clouds. Space looks weird too. This mod, thankfully, fixes it all.

How It Makes The Game More Fun:

  • Fixes the clouds so they look and act normal.
  • Fixes space so it looks and acts normal.
  • Better lighting in general - seriously, what is it with this game and lighting? Why does it always suck?

Get the mod here.

12) Better Planet Generator

Most Amazing Mods in No Man's Sky Next TOP 10 (2:00)

One thing I dislike about this game is how sparse the planets are when you land. Sure, there’s plenty of stuff to mine but for a pretty much abandoned planet, there’s not a lot going on. This mod fixes that.

How It Makes The Game More Fun:

  • Generates better planets.
  • The planets have more things to mine and resources to gather.
  • And, I believe, it generates more animals too.

Get the mod here.

11) Space Safari

Most Amazing Mods in No Man's Sky Next TOP 10 (2:40)

The planets don’t really have a lot of animals, do they? That’s a bit weird for a bunch of abandoned planets, don’t you think? Well, this mod fixes that, along with other issues in the game.

How It Makes The Game More Fun:

  • More creatures! Lots more!
  • Faster scanning! Jesus do you need this one, the scanning on unmodded takes forever!
  • Different behaviors from the animals. Instead of all passive with the occasional aggressive, it spreads out the behaviors more. You know, like real life.

Get the mod here.

10) Faster Walk

Most Amazing Mods in No Man's Sky Next TOP 10 (4:47)

In this game, you walk at a snail’s pace. It’s ridiculous, let’s be honest here. People walk faster than that in real life. So, in order to make the game more realistic, this mod fixes that. It helps you walk faster, among other things.

How It Makes The Game More Fun:

  • You walk faster.
  • You sprint faster.
  • And, when you land after using your jetpack, it recharges faster.

Get the mod here.

9) Pulse Engine Speed

Most Amazing Mods in No Man's Sky Next TOP 10 (5:12)

While the pulse engine does go fast, it has the ability to travel faster. This mod gives you that ability, as well as the ability to hover in the atmosphere of a planet. Perfect for those of us who hop from planet to planet at rapid intervals.

How It Makes The Game More Fun:

  • It increases the pulse engine speed all the way up to ten times faster, resulting in faster, much faster, travel.
  • It allows you to hover in the atmosphere of a planet, just sitting there (you have to be completely stopped, though).
  • It allows you to get on your way much quicker than the unmodded version of NMS.

Get the mod here.

8) Eclipses

Amazing Mods in No Man's Sky (2:28)

If you’re like me, you probably wish the game was more realistic. This mod takes realism to the next level by giving you eclipses. Not much difference in gameplay but definitely a wonderful stylizing mod.

How It Makes The Game More Fun:

  • While this mod is highly just for style and realism, it adds a bit of flare to your game.
  • Eclipses will happen at random, shrouding your planet in darkness.
  • All in all, it’s just pretty rad to see an eclipse in game.

Get the mod here.

7) Coastal Waters

Ultra Modded No Man's Sky | Best Graphics Mods For No Man's Sky Next Update [NMS Mods 2018] (3:56)

I don’t know what it is with this game and horrendous effects but the water always looks horrible. This mod, thankfully, fixes that and gives the water a much more realistic look. No more horrible pixelation or offsetting waves.

How It Makes The Game More Fun:

  • Improved water graphics.
  • Makes the water look and act better.
  • Improves the gameplay in and out of water.

Get the mod here.

6) Crystal Clear Water

Ultra Modded No Man's Sky | Best Graphics Mods For No Man's Sky Next Update [NMS Mods 2018] (4:29)

Again, I don’t know what it is with this game and water but god do Hello Games need an update to fix that garbage. Thankfully, while we wait on that, there’s this mod. It greatly improves the look of the water and further enhances your gameplay. This one works perfectly with number 7. 

How It Makes The Game More Fun:

  • Improved water graphics.
  • Makes the water look and act better.
  • Improves gameplay especially in the water by making it “crystal clear.”

Get the mod here.

5) Rotating Cloud Shader

Ultra Modded No Man's Sky | Best Graphics Mods For No Man's Sky Next Update [NMS Mods 2018] (5:13)

With this game, the clouds were a huge let down. Whether from space or from land, they just looked like a huge blurry mess. This mod helps fix that and makes clouds look more realistic, especially from space.

How It Makes The Game More Fun:

  • Makes the clouds more realistic.
  • Makes the clouds move at a normal speed.
  • Honestly, it’s just a graphical change but it does wonders for realism.

Get the mod here.

4) Effects Overhaul

Ultra Modded No Man's Sky | Best Graphics Mods For No Man's Sky Next Update [NMS Mods 2018] (9:28)

One of the areas lacking in this game is the effects when you kill things like alien horrors. Unmodded, they just disintegrate into green mist. With this mod, that all changes.

How It Makes The Game More Fun:

  • The creatures’ death animation is much more gorey.
  • It changes the effects when animals die.
  • It makes for a much more fun gameplay experience.

Get the mod here.

3) Low Flight

No Man's Sky Top 5 Mods! - The Know Game News (0:56)

The flight in this game can be quite annoying. For instance, it makes you hover above the ground and water at quite a distance. This mod fixes that, as mods do.

How It Makes The Game More Fun:

  • Lets you fly lower to the ground and/or water.
  • Purely a gameplay aspect but I’m sure there’s an aesthetic viewpoint for it too.
  • Greatly improve gameplay experience.

Get the mod here.

2) NMS Fantasy Synthesis

No Man's Sky - Beyond Fantasy Mod release trailer ( v1.0 )

If you’re like me, you want the game to be as fantastical as possible (no, that’s not a typo). This mod goes above and beyond in making things more and more fantasy-esque and brings a unique newness to your gameplay experience.

How It Makes The Game More Fun:

  • This mod brings in a ton of visual overhauls.
  • There’s a new exocraft (the dragonfly).
  • You can even choose a class to play as.

Get the mod here.

1) Reduced Launch Cost

No Man's Sky Top 5 Mods! - The Know Game News (2:20)

Let’s assume, for a second, that you’re annoyed, like I am, with how much fuel it takes to launch your ship. Well, this mod fixes that. It reduces the launch cost all the way to zero, if you so wish.

How It Makes The Game More Fun:

  • Lowers the launch thruster cost from 100 to 1.
  • Launch cost can be set at 10%, 5%, or even 0%.
  • Makes it much easier to play the game.

Get the mod here.

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