No Man's Sky

No Man's Sky is a game about exploring a practically infinite, procedurally generated universe, in which the player flies between planets, gathers resources, builds bases, and upgrades their ship and equipment. VR support was added to the game via an update several years after its original release and allows players to experience landing on unknown planets, walking on their surface, and piloting the ship from a first-person view with the full sense of scale of vast landscapes and the starry sky overhead.

The VR mode converts most of the game's main mechanics – mining, combat, base building, and interstellar travel – into a format suitable for a headset, while preserving the original procedurally generated environments with their own flora, fauna, and weather phenomena. The transition between exploring a planet on foot and flying in space feels especially convincing in VR thanks to the sense of height and depth that a flat display cannot fully convey. Manipulating inventory and building bases directly with your hands also gives these activities a new, more tactile dimension.

The addition of VR support was well received as a significant expansion of an already existing and expansive game, making it accessible to players seeking immersive experiences. Thanks to continuously expanded content and regular updates, No Man's Sky in VR remains one of the most expansive exploration titles available on PC headsets, often praised for the sense of freedom and scale of the universe, which kept growing with each new update. The transition between exploring on foot and flying takes place in VR without loading screens, which reinforces the feeling of one continuous, uninterrupted journey from a planet's surface all the way into deep space. The ability to seamlessly switch between VR and the classic display also gives players the flexibility to choose their way of playing depending on their mood or the length of a planned gaming session, which is an unusual advantage for a title of this scale and sets No Man's Sky apart from other VR titles tied exclusively to a single mode of play.

Why play it: For explorers seeking a sense of freedom and an endless universe without loading screens between walking on a planet's surface and flying, with the option to switch back to the classic display at any time.