You can now adopt animal companions in No Man’s Sky

No Man’s Sky’s latest addition, called the Companions Update, lets you adopt several creatures as pets, with various benefits.

What you need to know

• Hello Games drops a major No Man’s Sky update that allows you to adopt space pets.
• After you adopt them, you can bond with them, take them out on missions, or even raise their offspring.
• This is the latest in massive No Man’s Sky updates as the game nears the fifth anniversary of its launch.

No Man’s Sky developers Hello Games today released the latest update for its game, called “Companions,” available on PS5. The Companions update overhauls your interactions with animals you find on planets. Now any animals you tame can be adopted and brought with you on your many space adventures. It’s available for all users starting today.

You can adopt up to six companions and name them whatever you choose. You can strengthen your bond with them by playing with them or feeding them. The game already had an in-game taming mechanic, but usually any animals you tamed would have to be left behind when you left their planet. However, you can now bring them with you and summon them in whatever environment you’re in.

But these space pets aren’t just for companionship (in spite of the name) — they’ll scan for resources, act as a flashlight, dig up treasure, hunt other animals, and even mine for you if you equip them with lasers. They also have unique personalities shaped by their experiences and surroundings and can communicate with you to a certain degree.

As if that wasn’t enough, you can also customize your companions with gear. If they are cared-for enough, they can lay eggs, which you can either incubate, trade with other players, or put through a genetic modification process. You can then raise the baby animals to be your new companions.

This is part of No Man’s Sky’s continued efforts to become the game its developers implied it was supposed to be — and wasn’t — at launch. The efforts to turn the game into the immersive, expansive space sim we saw in the trailers began almost immediately after the disappointing launch, and have continued steadily since.

No Man’s Sky is now a few months away from its fifth anniversary, and the game is practically unrecognizable from its launch state. The last major update before Companions rolled out was Origins, released in late 2020, which spruced up the galactic scenery. All thing’s considered, it’s one of the best PS5 games you can play today.