The No Man’s Sky iPhone and iPad version launches on October 28, and you can pre-order it on the App Store now. It’s a free download that lets you play the opening of the game, and a one-time $19.99 purchase unlocks the full game with every update since 2016. You need an iPhone 11 or a 3rd-generation iPad Air or newer, running iOS 26, plus about 3.8 GB of free space.
Hello Games founder Sean Murray announced the port in an official blog post on October 12, calling it “not No Man’s Sky Lite”. There are two real catches: no multiplayer, and Planetary Settlements only on iPhone 15 Pro and newer. Below is everything you need before launch day: price, the exact device rules, what’s missing and how to get ready. Store details were checked on October 17, 2026 (UTC).
Table of Contents
Quick answer
- Release date: October 28, according to Hello Games. The US and UK App Store listings currently say “Expected Oct 29, 2026”, so it may not unlock until the 29th in some regions.
- Price: free to try. The “Full Game Unlock” in-app purchase is $19.99 (£19.99 in the UK), and it’s the only purchase listed.
- Devices: iPhone 11 or newer and iPad Air (3rd generation) or newer. The App Store asks for iOS or iPadOS 26 and an A12 Bionic chip or later.
- Download size: 3.8 GB on the App Store (“under 4GB”, says Hello Games).
- Missing at launch: multiplayer. Planetary Settlements are limited to iPhone 15 Pro and newer.
- Controls: rebuilt touch controls, controller support, casting to a TV, and mouse and keyboard on iPad.
| No Man’s Sky on iOS | Details (checked Oct 17, 2026) |
|---|---|
| Release date | October 28 (Hello Games); App Store shows “Expected Oct 29, 2026” |
| Pre-orders | Open now on the App Store |
| Price | Free download; Full Game Unlock $19.99 / £19.99 |
| Size | 3.8 GB |
| Requires | iOS / iPadOS 26.0 or later, A12 Bionic chip or later |
| Minimum devices (Hello Games) | iPhone 11, iPad Air (3rd generation) |
| Multiplayer | Not supported |
| Planetary Settlements | iPhone 15 Pro and newer only |
| Controls | Touch, controller, mouse and keyboard (iPad), TV casting |
| Languages listed | English |
Underwater exploration on iPhone, with the rebuilt touch controls: movement stick on the left, actions on the right. Image: Hello Games
When does No Man’s Sky come out on iPhone and iPad?
Hello Games says October 28. Pre-orders went live on October 12 as part of the App Store’s Indie Games Week, and Murray’s post says the game will release “a few short weeks later on October 28th”. mobilegamer.biz and Game Rant report the same date.
One small wrinkle: when we checked on October 17, the App Store listings in the US, UK, Germany, Australia and Japan all gave October 29, 2026 as the expected release date. Hello Games hasn’t commented on the difference, so plan for the 28th and don’t panic if the download only unlocks on the 29th in your region.
The easiest way to avoid watching the clock is to pre-order. Open the No Man’s Sky App Store page and tap Get. Apple downloads pre-ordered apps to your device automatically once they’re released, and the pre-order itself costs nothing because the base download is free.
How much does No Man’s Sky cost on iOS?
The download is free. The store description says “Play the beginning of the game for free”, and a one-time purchase “unlocks the full game which includes 10 years of updates”. The App Store lists exactly one in-app purchase, the Full Game Unlock at $19.99 (£19.99 in the UK). Hello Games and Apple haven’t said where the free section ends, so think of it as a demo rather than a free-to-play game with a shop.
That’s a lot cheaper than the standard price elsewhere. On Steam the game was at its regular price when we checked:
| Platform | US price | UK price |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone / iPad (full unlock) | $19.99 | £19.99 |
| PC (Steam, standard price) | $59.99 | £49.99 |
The cheaper unlock comes with trade-offs (see the missing features below), and the free opening gives you a no-risk way to check how it runs on your phone before you pay.
No Man’s Sky iPhone requirements: which devices can play?
Hello Games says the game runs on iPhone 11 and 3rd-generation iPad Air and above. That’s a wider range than most console ports get, and Murray says it was deliberate: many PC and console games that make the jump to mobile are “confined to the very latest iOS devices”. The App Store adds the technical rule: iOS or iPadOS 26.0 or later and an A12 Bionic chip or newer.
The store’s own compatibility list also names the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR, because they have the A12 chip. Hello Games quotes the iPhone 11 as the starting point, though. If you’re on an XS or XR, check that Settings > General > Software Update can actually install iOS 26 before you count on playing.
| Your device | Can it play? | Planetary Settlements? |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max and newer models | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone 11 to iPhone 15 / 15 Plus, iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd gen) | Yes, on iOS 26 | No |
| iPhone XS, XS Max, XR | Listed by the App Store, but below Hello Games’ stated minimum | No |
| iPad Air (3rd gen) and newer, plus other iPads on iPadOS 26 with an A12 chip or later | Yes | Not specified by Hello Games |
| Android phones and tablets | No Android version announced | – |
About the “iPhone 15 Pro and above” rule: the standard iPhone 15 and 15 Plus aren’t covered. Hello Games only gave the iPhone cut-off for settlements and hasn’t said which iPads support them.
The iPad version runs on iPad Air (3rd generation) and newer, with mouse and keyboard support. Image: Hello Games
What’s missing in the iPhone version?
Murray is clear that this is the full universe, with more than 40 major updates. He compares the launch to the original Switch release, which also shipped with limits:
- No multiplayer. You can’t join friends or other players. The store description still talks about sharing discoveries on the galaxy map, but playing together isn’t part of this version.
- Planetary Settlements need an iPhone 15 Pro or newer. On older iPhones you can’t run a settlement (the towns you take charge of as Overseer).
- Cross-save isn’t mentioned. Hello Games’ cross-save page lists PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and Mac. Neither it nor the iOS announcement mentions iPhone or iPad, so don’t plan on moving a console save across at launch.
- English only, for now. The App Store lists English as the only language.
Will the gaps close? Hello Games isn’t promising. Murray wrote that the studio will “support it appropriately based on how many folks are playing”, and pointed out that player feedback on Switch eventually led to the much bigger Switch 2 version. So if multiplayer matters to you, how well the iOS version sells will decide it.
Controls: touch, controller and mouse support
No Man’s Sky has a lot of ways to move: on foot in first or third person, in starships, in vehicles and in mechs. Hello Games says it rebuilt the touch controls “from the ground up” so they suit mobile, with extra attention to crafting and inventory menus, where survival players spend a lot of time. The official screenshots show a virtual stick on the left and a cluster of action buttons on the right.
If you’d rather not play by touch, the iOS version also supports:
- Controllers (pair one in Settings > Bluetooth before launch day)
- Casting to a TV
- Mouse and keyboard on iPad
Hello Games also says it put “tons of work” into battery life and heat, so long sessions stay comfortable. According to mobilegamer.biz, the studio also highlighted its use of Apple’s MetalFX upscaling, and describes the port as a side project that took nearly three years.
Space flight uses its own touch layout; controllers are supported too. Image: Hello Games
Which updates are included?
All of them, according to the App Store listing. It names every major update from Foundation through NEXT, BEYOND, Frontiers, Waypoint (4.0), Worlds Parts I and II, Voyagers (6.0) and the newest, COSMOS (7.0). Murray singles out Voyagers, which let players build big-rig starships, and COSMOS, released a few weeks before the announcement. mobilegamer.biz describes COSMOS as the update that lets you own and manage a space station.
How does a game this big fit in 3.8 GB? No Man’s Sky’s planets aren’t stored as files. The device generates the universe as you play, which is why Murray says it “won’t use up all the storage space on your phone”. Game Rant calls the file size “a wake-up call” for bloated open-world games.
Is No Man’s Sky on iOS worth it?
The free opening makes this an easy call to test. Based on what Hello Games has confirmed, the $19.99 unlock suits:
- Solo explorers. Exploring, scanning creatures, trading and upgrading ships don’t need other players, so missing multiplayer matters less.
- Owners of an iPhone 15 Pro or newer, who get the complete feature set apart from multiplayer.
- Anyone who never tried it because of the price. $19.99 is a third of the standard Steam price.
Wait for launch-week feedback if you mainly play with friends, or if you hoped to carry your console or PC save over. Also wait if you’re on an iPhone 11 to 15 and settlement building is your favorite part of the game. If you like portable survival games without a cash shop, our list of the best offline mobile games for iPhone and Android has more one-off purchases. The 9 Kings mobile guide covers another PC hit that uses the same free-trial-then-unlock model.
How to get ready before October 28
- Check your device against the table above, and update to iOS or iPadOS 26.
- Free up space. The listing says 3.8 GB, so leave a little extra room for day-one patches.
- Pre-order on the App Store so it downloads automatically.
- Pair a controller if you’d rather not use touch, or set up casting if you want to play on a TV.
- Play the free opening first and check performance and battery on your device before you buy the $19.99 unlock.
Phones running console games was a bold prediction a few years ago, when Activision’s CEO said mobiles would soon run high-end PS5 games. A full No Man’s Sky on an iPhone 11 is a strong sign it’s happening. If you like the idea of building your own space program on mobile, our Tiny Space Program guide is a lighter place to start.
FAQ
Is No Man’s Sky free on iPhone?
Partly. It’s free to download, and you can play the beginning of the game for free. A one-time $19.99 Full Game Unlock opens up the rest. No other in-app purchases are listed.
Does No Man’s Sky on iOS have multiplayer?
No. Hello Games says multiplayer isn’t supported on iPhone and iPad at launch. It will decide on further support “based on how many folks are playing”.
How big is No Man’s Sky on iOS?
3.8 GB, according to the App Store listing. Hello Games says it comes in under 4 GB because the universe is generated on your device instead of being stored as files.
Is No Man’s Sky coming to Android?
Hello Games hasn’t announced an Android version. The October 12 announcement and the store links on the official site cover iPhone and iPad only.
Can I transfer my PlayStation, Xbox or PC save to iPhone?
Not as far as we know. Hello Games’ cross-save page lists PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and Mac, and the iOS announcement doesn’t mention cross-save. We’ll update this guide if that changes at launch.
Sources: Hello Games: No Man’s Sky: iOS (October 12, 2026), No Man’s Sky on the App Store, Hello Games cross-save page, Steam store page, mobilegamer.biz, Game Rant. Store details and prices checked October 17, 2026 (UTC).
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Featured image: AI-generated illustration
