How much data does No Man’s Sky use?
How much data does No Man’s Sky use?
In No Man’s Sky, up to 32 players explore and even cooperate on the same game server. Unlike the game’s single player mode, these online multiplayer modes do use internet data. If you play on a capped internet connection, you may need to keep an eye on your data use.
So how much data does No Man’s Sky use on Microsoft Windows, Playstation 4, and Xbox One? Let’s take a closer look at the numbers.
No Man’s Sky download size
The initial game download almost always uses more data than playing or updating the game. Here’s how much space No Man’s Sky takes up on each compatible computer or console. The size of the game will increase slightly every time Hello Games releases a new update.
Platform | File size |
Microsoft Windows | <10 GB |
Playstation 4 | 4 GB |
Xbox One | 10 GB |
File size is how much hard drive space an installed game takes up, while download size is how much data your internet connection uses when you add the game to your computer or console. Download size is usually less than half of file size, since developers compress their game files with archive formats like “.zip” or “.rar” so that they download more quickly.
No Man’s update size
No Man’s Sky patches can be as small as 100 MB, although bigger updates are larger. See the No Man’s Sky release log for the most up-to-date information about patches. If a game update could push you over your plan’s data cap, turn off auto-updates in the game or console settings. Then, manually download any updates, patches, and hotfixes when you have extra data.
No Man’s Sky data use
Because players rarely interact in No Man’s Sky, the game uses very little data compared to other online multiplayer games. Players estimate that they use as little as 8 Kbps of data – or less than 5 MB of data per hour – playing the game. Your actual data use depends on the number of players on the server, whether or not you use voice chat, and your update rate.
- The more players in the game map, the more data – like location, movement, and stats – your local network shares with other players. If you’re playing No Man’s Sky with the maximum 32 players, you’ll use more data than if you’re playing on an empty server.
- Voice chat can use up to an additional 60 MB of data per hour, so you’ll use much less data if you disable voice chat. Here’s how to turn No Man’s Sky voice chat on and off.
- The update rate of your game will be either your server tick rate or client update rate, whichever is lower. Most game servers have a tick rate of either 64 or 128 times per minute. Client update rate is how many of these updates your computer can actually process. To save data, choose a server with a low tick rate or limit your client update rate.
Get more data with fixed wireless internet
To play No Man’s Sky without eating into your monthly data limit, get fixed wireless internet with a high data cap. This home Wi-Fi connection is ideal for gamers in rural areas who don’t have access to mainstream wired internet connections like cable or fiber.