Skip to main content

You can try No Man’s Sky for free this weekend

A screenshot of the Omega update for No Man's Sky.
Hello Games

Hello Games released the Omega update for No Man’s Sky today and is making the sci-fi game free-to-play temporarily to celebrate.

The main draw of the Omega update is that it incorporates cooperative expeditions into the main game experience rather than relegating them to a side mode. The Omega expedition was added to the game today, and tasks players with exploring and charting every inch of the planet Nafut Gamma. Completing this expedition will reward players with a limited-edition helmet and staff Multi-Tool, and players can carry over any resources gained during it. While this change is the biggest addition of the Omega update, it’s far from the only notable change.

No Man's Sky: Omega Update Trailer

The Atlas Path mission has been reworked and can now reward players with a special Atlas staff, jetpack, and helmet; several new planetary missions have also been added. Players can now take over Pirate Dreadnoughts and claim the ships or take their loot after defeating them in battle. The Altas Flightpack jetpack and Starborn Runner starship are also now in No Man’s Sky. For a full list of patch notes, check out the Omega Update’s webpage.

This is a significant update for No Man’s Sky, so Hello Games is giving people an easy way to give the game a shot. A free trial for No Man’s Sky has begun across all platforms and will run until 10 a.m. PT next Monday. During this time, players will have access to the entire game.

No Man’s Sky is free to play now across PC, PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and VR platforms until February 19.

Tomas Franzese
Tomas Franzese is a Staff Writer at Digital Trends, where he reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting…
You can try Nintendo Switch Online for free this July Fourth weekend
Cloud saves, which are supported through Nintendo Switch Online

Ahead of the Fourth of July holiday weekend, Nintendo will hold a free seven-day Nintendo Switch Online trial for all Switch owners, even if you've had a Nintendo Switch Online subscription before or participated in a previous free trial.

Nintendo Switch Online is Nintendo's version of PS Plus or Xbox Game Pass Core. It gives members access to online play in games like Splatoon 3 or Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, cloud backups for game saves, some exclusive discounts and game trials, and some retro game libraries. You can even buy Game Vouchers to get two first-party Nintendo games for $100 during this trial period, although you will have to spend them before the trial ends.

Read more
Try these 3 Xbox Game Pass horror titles this weekend (June 21-23)
Issac stands tall in the Dead Space remake.

Another weekend is upon us, and you're probably wondering which Xbox Game Pass games you should spend some time with over the next couple of days. Although Halloween is still several months away, the release of a new horror game this week means that I'm recommending some spooky titles from the Xbox Game Pass catalog this time around.

Of course, my first recommendation is that new game, which is developed by Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs developer The Chinese Room and is set on an oil rig. Once you beat that, I recommend you check out EA Motive's remake of a sci-fi horror game classic, as well as a newer title from Striking Distance Studio that was inspired by that same game.
Still Wakes the Deep

Read more
Nintendo’s stellar Direct proved that you can’t ignore Apple Arcade
A diorama from Fantasian on iOS.

There's a lot to unpack after today's loaded Nintendo Direct. The 40-minute showcase gave us a surprisingly loaded look at what's coming to Switch before Nintendo moves on to its next console. I could go on all day about Metroid Prime 4: Beyond theories or pick out hidden gems like Mio: Memories in Orbit, but there are two exciting announcements that stick out to me -- and they're both sleeper hits I've already played.

That's thanks to Apple Arcade, which I've been subscribed to ever since it first launched. That long commitment has paid off for me in a number of ways over the years, but now it's allowing me to smugly say this: If you've been ignoring Apple's gaming subscription service, you're about to find out what you've been missing.

Read more