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Start by identifying the symptom, then change one thing at a time. For a crash at startup, update Steam and both graphics drivers, disable overlays and capture tools, install the current Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime, and remove mods temporarily. For severe graphics problems, reset the shader cache and configuration files and verify the Steam installation. If the game runs but feels slow or uneven, lower resolution and test demanding graphics options individually. These are Hello Games’ diagnostic steps, not a guaranteed cure for every PC.
First, identify which problem you have
The right fix depends on when the failure occurs. Before changing anything, write down your game version, storefront, Windows version, CPU, GPU, installed memory, monitor resolution, graphics-driver version, mods, overlays and recording tools. Also note whether the problem began after a game or driver update. This information makes a support report useful and helps you undo changes that do not help.
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Record the exact trigger, not just the word “crash.” Does the game close before the menu, when a save loads, while leaving the starship, or only in one settlement? For stutter, note whether it happens during camera movement, entering a busy area, flying between systems, or after a long play session. A symptom that follows one action is easier to compare than a general impression that performance is bad.
- Startup crash: the game closes, freezes or returns to the desktop before reaching the main menu.
- In-game crash: the game loads but exits during a particular activity, transition or location.
- Stutter: the game remains playable, but motion repeatedly hitches or frame pacing feels uneven.
- Low FPS: frame rate stays below what your display and system can normally deliver, even when it is not visibly hitching.
- Severe graphics issue: corrupted-looking visuals, persistent instability or a major performance change that does not respond to ordinary setting adjustments.
Use the same save, location and activity when comparing changes. A busy planetary base, a space station and open space can stress different parts of a PC, so comparing unrelated scenes can lead to the wrong conclusion. Keep a short test log with the setting changed, the scene tested and whether the symptom improved, worsened or stayed the same.
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Fix a crash that happens at startup
Hello Games’ PC startup-crash guidance, updated March 28, 2025, puts the lowest-risk software checks first. Perform the checks below in order and retry the game after each group of changes. If one change helps, stop and test it several times before adding another variable.
1. Update Steam
If you play through Steam, allow the client to update fully, then restart it and try No Man’s Sky again. A partially updated client can leave the game and launcher out of sync. Make sure the update has finished rather than assuming the client is current because it opened normally.
2. Update both graphics drivers
Install the current driver offered by your graphics-card manufacturer for the discrete GPU. Also check the driver for the PC’s onboard graphics, even if you intend to use the discrete card. Hello Games notes that onboard drivers can affect GPU selection. Use the manufacturer’s current support page rather than copying old driver numbers from an older troubleshooting page.
After installing a driver, reboot Windows before testing. Record the previous driver version so you can identify which change coincided with an improvement or regression. If your PC has both integrated and discrete graphics, confirm that you know which manufacturer supplies each driver; do not assume updating only the card listed in a desktop utility covers both devices.
3. Turn off overlays
Disable third-party in-game overlays while diagnosing the crash. Check the Steam overlay, Discord overlay and the overlay supplied by your graphics software. These hooks add another layer between the game and the display driver; removing them makes the test easier to interpret. Disable only the overlay feature first, then restart the relevant application so the change is actually applied.
4. Temporarily stop recording software
Exit video-capture applications such as Bandicam during testing. Do not assume that minimizing a recorder is enough; close it completely, then launch the game. Re-enable it only after you have established that the game starts reliably. Other capture or monitoring tools can be tested the same way if you installed them and can identify them, but do not close unfamiliar Windows services.
5. Install the current Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime
Make sure the current Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Distributable is installed. Restart Windows after installation and test again. Avoid downloading runtime installers from unofficial “DLL fix” sites. The objective is to use Microsoft’s current redistributable, not to replace individual files copied from an unknown download.
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6. Remove mods for the test
Move or disable every installed mod, then start an unmodified game. Hello Games states: “Please also ensure any mods installed have been removed before attempting to load the game, as this may also have an impact on stability.” Keep a backup of your mod files so you can restore them after the unmodified build proves stable.
If the game starts only after one of these changes, restore items one at a time. That identifies the conflicting component instead of leaving you with an unexplained collection of disabled software. Test a clean launch more than once and load the same save before concluding that the problem is resolved.
Reset severe graphics problems and persistent instability
For severe visual problems or crashes that survive the startup checklist, Hello Games’ severe-issues guidance recommends clearing cached shaders, resetting the game’s settings files, and verifying the Steam installation. That page was updated August 16, 2019, so menu names and file locations can differ by installation or game version. Back up custom settings first.
Clear the shader cache
- Close No Man’s Sky and Steam.
- Open the Steam library folder that contains the game. The official example is
SteamsteamappscommonNo Man's SkyGAMEDATASHADERCACHE; your library may be on another drive or in a differently named folder. - Back up the cache folder if you want a rollback, then delete its contents.
- Start the game and allow extra time for the next load. Rebuilding shaders can make that first load slightly longer.
Do not interrupt the first launch merely because it takes longer than usual. Compare later loads with the same scene after the cache has been rebuilt. If the folder is not present at that path, verify the actual installation directory rather than deleting a similarly named folder elsewhere.
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In the game’s installation, Hello Games lists the settings location as BinariesSETTINGS and identifies TKGAMESETTINGS and TKGRAPHICSSETTINGS for removal. Copy those files to a safe folder before deleting them. Resetting them removes custom choices, so you may need to select your resolution, display mode and graphics preferences again.
If the files are absent or named differently, do not delete unrelated files. The support page is older than current game builds; use the files present in your installation and keep a backup of anything you change. Make a note or screenshot of your working settings first, especially resolution, V-sync and quality presets.
Verify the Steam installation
In Steam, open your Library, right-click No Man’s Sky, choose Properties, open Installed Files (the label may vary slightly by client version), and select Verify integrity of game files. Let Steam complete the check before launching. Verification can replace damaged or missing files, but it does not remove every third-party mod or reset every user setting.
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After verification, test the unmodified game before restoring overlays or custom files. If Steam reports that files were reacquired, record that result in your test log; it gives support a useful clue even if the symptom remains.
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Do not repeatedly delete caches or configuration files without recording the result. If the crash or graphics problem remains, collect your system details, game version and the exact steps already attempted, then submit a support ticket to Hello Games. A precise timeline is more useful than a list of generic “optimizations.”
Improve low FPS without guessing
If No Man’s Sky stays running but performance is poor, first confirm that your graphics driver is current and close resource-intensive background programs you recognize. Do not terminate unfamiliar Windows processes simply because they use memory or CPU. A background application you can identify can be closed for a controlled test; if it makes no difference, reopen it rather than leaving your normal setup changed.
Change one setting, load the same scene, and observe the result before changing another. This is an isolation method, not a published benchmark; the available guidance does not establish a fixed FPS gain for any option. Give each test enough time to reach the same activity, and write down whether the result affects average smoothness, hitching or only image quality.
| Setting to test | First adjustment | Likely trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Resolution | Drop one step, such as 4K to 1440p or 1440p to 1080p | Sharper image becomes less detailed; the performance effect depends on your GPU and display |
| V-sync | Test it on and off, and make the game and GPU-driver-panel choices agree | Can reduce tearing, but a system that cannot sustain 60 FPS may be held to 30 FPS under the behavior described by Hello Games |
| Anti-aliasing | Lower the current mode; test especially demanding SSAA options first | More jagged edges or shimmer |
| HBAO | Test with HBAO disabled | Less pronounced ambient shading and contact depth |
| Anisotropic filtering | Reduce 16x to 8x, then 4x if necessary | Ground and surface textures appear less clear at oblique angles |
| Shadow detail | Move from Ultra or High to Medium | Less detailed and shorter-range shadows |
| Light shafts | Test with the effect disabled | Less visible volumetric light |
| Terrain tessellation | Lower it and compare the same terrain | Terrain geometry may look less finely shaped; Hello Games describes the gain as marginal |
Lower resolution before destroying image quality everywhere
Resolution is a clear first test because it changes the number of pixels the GPU must render. Move down one available step rather than jumping immediately to the lowest value. If that solves the problem, you can raise other settings one at a time to find a better visual balance. If it does not, restore the original resolution before testing another option so your comparison remains clear.
Check V-sync on both sides
Hello Games explains that a player expecting a steady 60 FPS can see the game held at 30 FPS when performance regularly falls below 60 with V-sync enabled. Check the game’s V-sync control and the GPU driver control panel; conflicting choices make the result difficult to interpret. Test a repeatable scene with each configuration. The best choice depends on whether your priority is avoiding tearing or avoiding the behavior described above.
Target the expensive image-quality options
SSAA anti-aliasing, high shadows and high-resolution rendering can be costly. HBAO, anisotropic filtering and light shafts are separate tests, so change them individually rather than moving every slider to Low and losing the ability to identify the cause. Once you find the setting that changes performance, raise neighboring settings again to recover image quality without undoing the useful adjustment.
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Reduce stutter when average FPS looks acceptable
Stutter is a frame-pacing symptom, so an average FPS counter may not explain it. Start with the same checks used for low FPS: current graphics drivers, no unnecessary overlays or recorders, and one setting change at a time. Test V-sync deliberately rather than assuming it is always beneficial. A configuration that produces a higher average can still feel worse if frame delivery is uneven.
Compare a repeatable action—such as entering the same settlement or turning the camera across the same terrain—after each change. If stutter appears only with a mod, overlay or recording tool enabled, leave that component disabled while you isolate the game itself. Note whether the hitch repeats at the same location or occurs unpredictably; that distinction belongs in a support report.
Do not treat a single smooth minute as proof of a permanent fix. Revisit the same activity after restarting the game and after a normal play session. If a setting reduces hitches but makes the image unacceptable, keep the result in your log and try the next individual option rather than stacking every reduction.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Use patch notes without assuming they explain your crash
Game updates fix specific defects, not every symptom with a similar description. Hello Games’ June 22, 2026 “The Swarm 6.45.1” notes list two freighter-related fixes; they do not describe a general PC graphics, stutter or startup-crash fix. Installing that patch is still sensible, but its notes do not prove it addresses an unrelated failure.
The July 19, 2024 “Worlds Part 1 Patch 5.00.1” notes include a PC-only crash during the transition from the starfield to the game. That is an example of a narrowly identified, version-specific crash. It does not establish that the same fault is present now or that the patch applies to a different crash location.
When checking notes, match all three details: the game version, the exact action that triggers the failure, and the platform. A vaguely similar word such as “crash” is not enough to identify a match. Keep the version number from the title screen or storefront with your notes so you do not compare a current failure with an old fix by mistake.
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What not to do while troubleshooting
- Do not apply several tweaks at once; you will not know which one changed the result.
- Do not quote old driver numbers as if they were current requirements. Obtain the current driver from the GPU manufacturer.
- Do not treat a 2016 Steam Community configuration thread as current developer guidance. Its user-submitted XML edits, experimental-branch instructions and reports had mixed results and explicitly varied by system.
- Do not delete settings or cache files without a backup. A reset can remove custom preferences and may require a longer first load while shaders rebuild.
- Do not close Windows processes you do not recognize. Limit background-program tests to applications you installed or can identify.
- Do not buy a GPU, memory kit, SSD or “PC optimizer” solely because the game stutters. The official steps do not establish that a hardware purchase or generic optimization utility is necessary.
Prepare an effective support report
If the official checks fail, give Hello Games enough detail to reproduce or classify the problem:
- Exact symptom and trigger: startup, a particular save, a transition, a planet, a settlement or a graphics menu.
- Game version and storefront, plus the date the problem began.
- Windows version, CPU, GPU, installed memory, monitor resolution and graphics-driver version.
- Whether mods, Steam/Discord/GPU overlays, capture software or other background tools were enabled.
- Every step attempted, including driver updates, cache or settings resets, verification and the result of each test.
That record distinguishes a reproducible game defect from a local configuration conflict and prevents support from sending you through the same checks again. Include whether the issue changes after a clean launch, a reboot or a repeat of the same in-game action. Do not describe an untested assumption as a cause; report what happened before and after each controlled change.
A concise troubleshooting order
- Record the symptom, trigger, system details and current game version.
- For startup crashes, update Steam, update discrete and onboard graphics drivers, disable overlays and capture software, install the current Visual C++ Runtime, and remove mods.
- For severe graphics problems, back up settings, clear
GAMEDATASHADERCACHE, reset the specified files inBinariesSETTINGS, and verify Steam files. - For low FPS or stutter, test resolution, V-sync, anti-aliasing, HBAO, filtering, shadows, light shafts and terrain tessellation one at a time.
- Recheck patch notes against the exact version and trigger instead of assuming every crash fix is general.
- If nothing changes, submit the complete diagnostic record to Hello Games support.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does No Man’s Sky crash before the main menu?
Start with Hello Games’ March 28, 2025 checklist: update Steam, update both discrete and onboard graphics drivers, disable Steam, Discord and graphics-software overlays, close video-capture tools, install the current Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime, and remove mods. Retry after each group so you can identify the change that matters.
Should I delete No Man’s Sky shader-cache and settings files?
For severe graphics problems or persistent instability, Hello Games recommends clearing the shader cache and removing TKGAMESETTINGS and TKGRAPHICSSETTINGS from the installation’s BinariesSETTINGS folder. Back up the files first, verify your actual Steam library path, and expect the next load to take slightly longer while shaders rebuild.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsWhat graphics settings should I lower first for low FPS?
Lower resolution one step, then test V-sync, demanding SSAA anti-aliasing, HBAO, anisotropic filtering, shadows, light shafts and terrain tessellation individually. The visual trade-off differs for each option, and no fixed FPS gain is established, so compare the same scene after every change.
Can V-sync make No Man’s Sky feel stuck at 30 FPS?
Hello Games says that when a player expects 60 FPS but regularly falls below it, V-sync may hold the frame rate at 30 FPS. Test V-sync on and off, and make the game setting agree with the GPU driver control-panel setting before judging the result.
Do mods cause No Man’s Sky crashes?
They can affect stability. Hello Games specifically asks players to remove installed mods before attempting to load the game. Back up your mod files, test an unmodified build, and restore mods one at a time only after the clean game is stable.
When should I contact Hello Games support?
Contact support after the relevant startup, cache/settings, verification and graphics tests fail. Include the exact trigger, game version and storefront, Windows and hardware details, driver version, enabled mods or overlays, and the result of every troubleshooting step.
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There is no single guaranteed No Man’s Sky PC fix. Identify whether you have a startup crash, in-game crash, stutter or consistently low FPS; then follow the matching Hello Games checks and change one variable at a time. Back up settings before resets, treat old community tweaks and narrowly worded patch notes cautiously, and send Hello Games a complete test record if the problem remains.
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