The No Man’s Sky iOS release date is set for Oct. 28, 2026, Hello Games announced, bringing the space exploration game to iPhone and iPad for the first time. The studio confirmed the mobile version will run on devices as far back as the iPhone 11 and the third-generation iPad Air, according to The Verge.
The game will be free to try at launch on the App Store, though Hello Games has not announced pricing for the full version. No Man’s Sky is also being featured as part of Apple’s Indie Games Week on the App Store, according to GameSpot.
No Man’s Sky Release Date And Platforms
- Date: Oct. 28, 2026
- Platforms: iPhone and iPad (joining Mac, PC, modern consoles and VR)
- Minimum devices: iPhone 11 and third-generation iPad Air
- Price: Free to try at launch; full version price not yet announced
- Download size: Under 5GB, with Kotaku reporting a figure of 3.8GB
The game will automatically load graphical settings optimized for whatever device a player is using, though those settings can be adjusted manually, GameSpot reported. Players already active on other platforms will be able to sync their progress to their App Store copy.
What We Know About The IOS Version
Hello Games built newly designed touch controls for the port and added support for physical controllers, screen casting and mouse-and-keyboard input on iPad, The Verge reported. The studio also said it worked on battery life and thermodynamics so players can run longer sessions on mobile without the device overheating or draining quickly.
The iOS build carries over a decade of content updates, including the Voyagers expansion and the recent Cosmos update. Sean Murray of Hello Games pushed back on any notion that the mobile version is a stripped-down edition. “I guess I should say this is not No Man’s Sky Lite,” Murray said.
Not everything made the jump to mobile, though. Multiplayer is not supported on any iOS device, and planetary settlements, a feature that lets players manage and build out bases, only work on iPhone 15 Pro and later models, according to Kotaku.
Why It Matters: Three Years In Development
Hello Games began work on the iOS port roughly three years ago, around the same time it released the game’s Mac version in 2023, according to Polygon. Much of the optimization that made the port possible came from technology the studio built for Light No Fire, its in-development follow-up project.
That timeline places the iOS version among the more ambitious ports of a full open-world survival game onto phone hardware. No Man’s Sky has steadily expanded its platform footprint since its original launch, and the mobile release extends that reach to iPhone and iPad owners who previously had no way to play.
What’s Next For No Man’s Sky On IOS
Hello Games has set the Oct. 28 launch date on the App Store, where the title will appear as part of Apple’s Indie Games Week promotion. The studio has not announced what the full version will cost once the free trial period ends, and further details on pricing are expected to come closer to launch.
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