No Man's Sky to launch on iPhone and iPad on 28 October
Hello Games says No Man's Sky will arrive on iPhone and iPad on 28 October with a free trial. Multiplayer is left out, and the two outlets differ on how settlements are handled.
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The story, neutrally told
Left · 2Hello Games announced that No Man's Sky will launch on iPhone and iPad on 28 October, just over ten years after the game first released. The VergeLC “Hello Games announced that its long-running sci-fi exploration game will be coming to iOS, with versions for both the iPhone and iPad available starting on October 28th.” Read at The Verge ↗ Ars TechnicaLC “Just over 10 years after its initial release, space exploration and survival crafting game No Man’s Sky is making its way to the iPhone and iPad, Apple and developer Hello Games announced today.” Read at Ars Technica ↗ Left · 2It will run on the iPhone 11 and the third-generation iPad Air and later, and the download is about 5GB or under. The VergeLC “The game will be playable on the iPhone 11 and 3rd generation iPad Air and above” Read at The Verge ↗ Ars TechnicaLC “The file size clocks in at under 5GB” Read at Ars Technica ↗ Left · 2Hello Games' Sean Murray said in a blog post that it is not a cut-down version ("this is not No Man's Sky Lite"). The Verge says it includes all updates since launch, including last year's Voyagers expansion. Ars Technica likewise says it has all the content and system updates added over the years. The VergeLC ““I guess I should say this is not No Man’s Sky Lite,” he wrote in a blog post.” Read at The Verge ↗ Ars TechnicaLC “This version of the game includes all of the content and systems updates to the game that have been added over the years” Read at Ars Technica ↗
Left · 2Multiplayer will not be available. On planetary settlements, The Verge reports they will be missing, while Ars Technica reports that building and exploring them is limited to the iPhone 15 Pro and later. The VergeLC “the only major features missing will be multiplayer and the planetary settlements” Read at The Verge ↗ Ars TechnicaLC “the ability to build and explore player-made planetary settlements is limited to the iPhone 15 Pro and later, and multiplayer is not supported on any iOS device” Read at Ars Technica ↗ Left · 2The game has new touch controls and supports game controllers and screen casting. The iPad version also supports mouse and keyboard. Murray said the studio put substantial work into battery life and thermal performance. The VergeLC “It also has newly-designed touch controls, as well as support for controllers, screen casting, and mouse-and-keyboard on the iPad.” Read at The Verge ↗ Ars TechnicaLC “the iPhone version supports game controllers and casting to a TV, while the iPad version supports both of those things, plus mouse and keyboard input.” Read at Ars Technica ↗ Left · 2It will be free to try at launch. Ars Technica puts the full purchase price at $19.99, while The Verge says the price of the full version is not clear. The VergeLC “It’ll be “free to try” at launch, though it’s not clear how much the full version will cost.” Read at The Verge ↗ Ars TechnicaLC “It will also offer a free trial, and the final purchase price will be $19.99.” Read at Ars Technica ↗
Left · 2Murray compared the support plan to the original Switch release. Hello Games says it will support iOS based on player numbers, which Ars Technica reads as possibly meaning not every future update arrives if the player base is small. The VergeLC ““Based on feedback and player numbers we will support iOS in a similar way.”” Read at The Verge ↗ Ars TechnicaLC “leaving the door open to perhaps not supporting all future content updates if the player base isn’t there to justify it.” Read at Ars Technica ↗ Left · 1Ars Technica adds that Hello Games spent three years on the iOS version and recently released a well-received macOS port. It says the launch is part of Apple's "indie games week". Ars TechnicaLC “Hello Games has been working on the iOS version for three years. It also recently released a well-received macOS port of the game.”“No Man’s Sky’s iOS port is part of what Apple is billing “indie games week,”” Read at Ars Technica ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left2 outlets
- Framing
- Both outlets present the port as a milestone for a game that recovered from a rocky launch. They report it as a full-featured version with a few compromises.
- Emphasis
- The Verge stresses that it is not a 'Lite' version and covers battery life and ongoing free updates. Ars Technica stresses the technical feat of generating a universe on-device, the price, and the Apple 'indie games week' context.
- Leaves out or plays down
- The Verge gives no price and does not mention device limits on settlements. Ars Technica does not mention battery or thermal work.
- Charged language
- “redemption arc”“widely beloved redemption story”
- For example
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“After a 10-year redemption arc, No Man's Sky is coming to the iPhone and iPad” — Ars Technica
“The No Man’s Sky universe is about to get a little bit smaller — but in a good way.” — The Verge
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- Launch date is 28 October on iPhone and iPad
- Minimum devices are iPhone 11 and third-generation iPad Air
- Download is about 5GB or under
- Multiplayer is not supported
- A free trial or free-to-try launch is offered
- Support will depend on player numbers
Where accounts differ
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Planetary settlements
- Left
- The Verge says settlements are missing; Ars Technica says they are limited to the iPhone 15 Pro and later.
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Price of the full game
- Left
- The Verge says it is unclear; Ars Technica gives $19.99.
Hello Games organisation
Hello Games, through Sean Murray, says the iOS version is the full game rather than a Lite edition. It says it will support the platform according to player numbers.
““I guess I should say this is not No Man’s Sky Lite,” he wrote in a blog post.” — The Verge
““We are excited to see player feedback on iOS, and will support it appropriately based on how many folks are playing,”” — Ars Technica
Left2 articles
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No Man’s Sky is coming to the iPhone and iPad
Sympathetic Upbeat news report that stresses the game is full-featured and tuned for battery life, and notes the unclear full price.
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After a 10-year redemption arc, No Man's Sky is coming to the iPhone and iPad
Celebratory Frames the port as the capstone of a decade-long comeback, with praise for the on-device generation, and spells out the compromises and price.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 12 Oct 15:00 First The VergeLC No Man’s Sky is coming to the iPhone and iPad
- 12 Oct 21:26 +6h 26m Ars TechnicaLC After a 10-year redemption arc, No Man's Sky is coming to the iPhone and iPad
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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