A robotic figure in the No Man's Sky Beacon update

No Man's Sky Beacon Update Released, Switch 2 Edition Confirmed

Written by

Published: June 4, 2025 9:17 AM

Hello Games has released a brand new update for No Man's Sky by the name of Beacon, and what's more, the studio has also announced that the game is getting a Switch 2 Edition upgrade on Nintendo's new console.

Beacon follows on from major No Man's Sky updates like March's Relics and January's Worlds Part 2, and it's on a pretty similar scale to those updates, adding some pretty major features to the game.

First up, the settlement system has been overhauled; you can now become the overseer of "multiple planetary settlements", according to Hello Games, and the systems for things like base management, upgrades, and decision-making have also been improved.

The player running through a dusty-looking space settlement in the No Man's Sky Beacon update
No Man's Sky's new Beacon update is bringing a major overhaul to settlements.

You can now also view your settlements' history and achievements thanks to "improved record-keeping", which will also show you the happiness of the citizens who live in your settlements, as well as other stats.

Not only that, but disputes between those citizens have also been overhauled, with more resolutions now available to you when citizens have a disagreement in your settlements. If you want to see why those disagreements got started, you can check the new settler personality info page.

There are tons of other changes to No Man's Sky's settlement system as part of the Beacon update, and plenty of other features have been added as well. Make sure to check out the full patch notes via the game's official website for more info.

As well as the Beacon update, Hello Games has also revealed that a Switch 2 Edition upgrade is coming for No Man's Sky, and it adds some features that are missing in the original Switch version.

First and foremost, multiplayer will be available in the Switch 2 version, as will settlements. Both features are missing from the Switch version of the game.

Of course, the Switch 2 Edition version of No Man's Sky will also boast better visuals and performance, as well as touch controls, gyro aiming, and cross-save support. What's more, the Switch 2 upgrade will be entirely free.

No Man's Sky's Beacon update is available for the game right now. You can check out No Man's Sky on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch, with the Switch 2 version on the way tomorrow.

Joe Allen's profile picture
| Senior Writer

Joe has been writing for TechRaptor for several years, and in those years has learned a lot about the gaming industry and its foibles. He’s originally an… More about Joseph

More Info About This Game
Learn More About No Man's Sky
Game Page No Man's Sky
Developer
Hello Games
Platforms
PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Release Date
August 9, 2016 (Calendar)
Purchase (Some links may be affiliated)