No Man's Sky is coming to iPhone and iPad later this month
After a 10-year redemption arc, the space exploration and survival crafting game No Man's Sky is making its way to iOS devices.
Radwan AbdulhadiEditor and technology writer
Bringing a Universe to Mobile Devices
Just over 10 years after its initial release, the space exploration and survival crafting game No Man’s Sky is making its way to the iPhone and iPad, as announced by Apple and developer Hello Games.
As detailed by Ars Technica, the game will run on hardware as far back as the iPhone 11 and the third-generation iPad Air. Generating galaxies of incomprehensible scale on-device from a single-seed happening consistently on a phone is a remarkable technical feat.
Decade of Updates and Mobile Limitations
This version of the game includes all of the content and system updates that have been added over the years, representing the expansions that famously transformed the title from a rocky launch reception into a widely beloved redemption story.
However, there are a few compromises similar to what players saw with the Nintendo Switch port. According to details shared online, the ability to build and explore player-made planetary settlements is limited to the iPhone 15 Pro and later, and multiplayer is not supported on any iOS device.
Hello Games noted that it will monitor player feedback and support the mobile release appropriately based on player numbers, leaving the door open regarding future content updates depending on the size of the active mobile player base.
Input Options and Development Background
In addition to standard touch controls—which fit a menu-heavy game quite well—the iPhone version supports game controllers and TV casting. The iPad version offers those options alongside full mouse and keyboard input support.
Hello Games has spent three years working on the iOS version. The studio also recently released a well-received macOS port of the game, steadily expanding its ecosystem presence across Apple hardware platforms.
Launch Details, Pricing, and Indie Games Week
The arrival of No Man’s Sky forms part of Apple's promotional push billed as indie games week, which also highlights other notable titles such as the cat exploration game Little Kitty, Big City and the strategy game 9 Kings.
While other featured indie titles have already begun rolling out, No Man’s Sky is scheduled to launch officially on October 28. The release will feature a free trial, with a final purchase price set at $19.99.
The entire file size clocks in at under 5GB, made possible because the millions of planets are dynamically generated on-device as players explore rather than being stored as pre-rendered assets in a folder.
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- Ars TechnicaAfter a 10-year redemption arc, No Man's Sky is coming to the iPhone and iPad
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