Skip to main content
If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

No Man’s Sky Customization (2019) - How to Change Your Appearance, Character Creation, Switch Between First Person and Third Person

Everything you need on customizing your character and ships in No Man's Sky.

We're currently in the process of updating our No Man's Sky Guides so that they are in line with the new Beyond update. As a result some of the info on this page might not be applicable post-update.

Thanks to a new update, No Man's Sky is looking better than ever. You can now see your character and ship, opening up a whole host of new customization options. In this No Man's Sky Customization Guide, we'll lead you through all the new changes, and tech you how to customize your character in No Man's Sky. We'll cover how to switch between first person and third person in-game, and take a look at how to change the appearance of your ship.

No Man’s Sky Customization Guide

There’s so many customization options to help you put your stamp on No Man’s Sky’s sprawling universe. Thanks to the No Man’s Sky NEXT update, you can tweak your character's race, appearance and more. You’ll also want to put some care into choosing your starship, as you can now fly about in third person. Here’s all the info you need to know.

How to Customize Your Character in No Man’s Sky Using the Character Creation Tools

Changing your character’s appearance is pretty easy in No Man’s Sky, though the game doesn’t do a great job at showing you how initially. All you need to do is follow the steps listed below, and you’ll be designing your new character in no time. Here’s how to customize your character in No Man’s Sky:

  • Finish the initial tutorial section if you haven’t already
  • Head to a space station, any will do
  • Upon landing head over to the section to the right of your ship
  • You’ll see a wall lined with merchants, walk past all of them to the end of the room
  • You’ll see a small, circular platform, step onto it and interact with the screen
  • From here you can change the race, helmet, torso, armor, legs, boots and backpack of your traveller
  • Note that changing race will alter all other pieces of gear
  • You can access all of the available options for free

How to Switch to Third Person View in No Man’s Sky

If you didn’t start a new game in No Man’s Sky, you’ll actually start the game in first-person. If you wanted to switch this to a third-person view, then follow the steps outlined below:

  • Press down on the d-pad to access the quick menu
  • Move the cursor along to the “Utilities” option
  • Select it, then scroll along to “Switch Camera View”
  • This will allow you to switch between first and third person view

If you were looking to change your starship view to third person, repeat the steps above while you are seated in your starship. You can toggle back and forth at will, and you’ll want to do so to make the most of the awesome space combat.

No Man's Sky First Person

Depending on how you're playing No Man's Sky since the NEXT update, you'll start in either first or third person. The method outlined above can be used to switch between the two, in both ship and on-foot situations.

How to Customize Ships in No Man’s Sky - Can You Change Ship Color in No Man’s Sky

Given how varied the character customization is in No Man’s Sky, you might be wondering whether you can change the look of your ship on the fly. Unfortunately, the ships in No Man’s Sky are permanent fixtures, and the only way to get a new look for your ship is to buy a new one. This applies to ship color as well, so head over to a space station and start checking out NPC ships.

Watch on YouTube

That’s all you need on customization in No Man’s Sky. For more on the game, check out our guide on how to make money fast in No Man’s Sky. If you just started out in No Man’s Sky, visit our No Man’s Sky Beginner’s Guide for tips on how to get started.

For more on No Man’s Sky, including info on what the new No Man’s Sky update adds to the game, head over to our No Man’s Sky Guides hub. It’s got links to a ton of up-to-date guides on the game, including some tips on how to make money fast and how to get into multiplayer.

Read this next