No Man's Sky developer Hello Games is kicking off the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 with some fantastic news for gamers, and Nintendo should be paying attention.
Thursday, June 5, is the big day Switch fans have been waiting for, when the Switch 2 finally launches. Several top Switch games, like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, will have "upgrade packs" available at launch that unlock Switch 2 editions of current Switch 2 titles — for a price.
No Man's Sky is doing things a little differently — the Switch 2 version of the game will be free.
No Man's Sky is getting a free Switch 2 Edition upgrade
Hello Games's latest move with the Switch version of No Man's Sky is great news for current Switch 1 players, but it might make gamers dread Nintendo's paid Switch 2 Edition upgrades even more.
See also: Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order restocks
When it launched in 2016, No Man's Sky had a rough start, but it has come a long way since then through consistent, free major updates.
The latest of those updates is arguably the best one yet.
Hello Games CEO Sean Murray announced in a video on the developer's YouTube channel this week that the next update for No Man's Sky, "Beacon," will add "Nintendo Switch 2 support at launch."
"From day one, new players are benefiting from nine years of updates, just tons of huge additions. We've been working on this for over a year. I'm super proud of what the team has achieved.
"Our Switch 2 Edition is just another free update for existing players," Murray stated, after enthusiastically diving into the slew of new features and improvements in the Switch 2 Edition.
This update to No Man's Sky includes all of the new content in the "Beacon" update, such as new robotic settlements to explore, and major enhancements for the Switch version of the game specifically.
As Murray points out, the original Switch's hardware can run No Man's Sky fine, but is still limited compared to PCs and other consoles. So, it has slightly less impressive graphics, longer loading times, and a generally less fluid gameplay experience than other platforms.
With the Switch 2, a lot of those hardware barriers are removed, allowing Hello Games to take the Switch experience in No Man's Sky up a notch. The Switch 2 Edition, a free update for all existing Switch players, will include:
- Multiplayer
- Cross-save
- Cross-play
- Higher resolution (up to 4K)
- Higher frame rate
- Higher texture density
So, not only are Switch players getting a boatload of new content, they're also going to have a much better gameplay experience on the Switch 2 — without having to pay extra for it.
This is a really player-friendly move from Hello Games that shows how much they appreciate their players and community. The question is, why isn't Nintendo offering similar free Switch 2 upgrades for its first-party games?
Should all Switch 2 Editions be free updates?
Hello Games has built back from No Man's Sky's rocky start through offering frequent free updates to regain trust with players, so it doesn't come as a surprise that the Switch 2 Edition of the game is also a free update.
However, it does set Hello Games apart from Nintendo, which is charging players for most of its Switch 2 Editions.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom, and Kirby and the Forgotten Land are all getting Switch 2 Editions, but you have to pay $10 to $20 extra for them, even if you already own the Switch 1 versions of those games. Like No Man's Sky, these Switch 2 Editions add new content and overall performance improvements.
Of course, it's totally normal for developers to offer paid DLC for games, which is basically what Switch 2 Editions are. However, considering how much controversy Nintendo has been facing over the pricing of the Switch 2 and its games, it might be a nice gesture to regain favor with players to offer these Switch 2 Editions as free updates for existing players.
I doubt that's going to happen, but Hello Games has really set the standard here for doing right by your players, and other developers might want to take notice.
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