No Man's Sky 4.0 Update Adding New Mode This Week

Over the last six years, No Man's Sky developer Hello Games has added a lot of incentives to keep players invested. The new 4.0 update seems like no exception, and it's set to release alongside the Nintendo Switch version on October 7th. Interestingly enough, the update was designed to appeal to both casual players and the hardcore crowd. The difficulty in Survival mode has been cranked up for those that want a challenge, but the new Relaxed mode will offer players an experience that dials back on the survival elements. Speaking to PC Gamer, creator Sean Murray revealed that players will also have the ability to customize these modes as they see fit.

"If you want to dial [the challenge] slightly differently, if you want to have permadeath in relaxed game mode, or whatever it is, you can do those things," Murray told PC Gamer. "You can change a ton of things to do with controls, a ton of things to do with difficulty, survival, crafting, you know, you can balance those your own way."

Hello Games has also made strides to make the game accessible to those that haven't played in a while. No Man's Sky has been available since 2016, and Murray is looking at ways to make it easier to get back into the game. One such way is that existing players will have the option of moving their save files into Relaxed mode, and switching back if they don't care for it. The game also has a new log, making it easier for players to see what they've previously done in the game. The inventory has also been streamlined and expanded, allowing players to hold a lot more items and have an easier time managing them.

It remains to be seen whether No Man's Sky's 4.0 update will be able to entice newcomers and existing fans, but players will have the chance to experience it for themselves later this week on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Nintendo Switch. In the meantime, readers can check out all of our previous coverage of the game right here.

Have you been enjoying all the free updates in No Man's Sky? Do you plan on checking out the new update? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!