‘No Man’s Sky’ Sentinel Update Brings Combat Overhaul, Graphics Bump for PS4 Pro

By
Scott Hayden
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No Man’s Sky’s redemption arc isn’t over yet, as the open universe space sim has added some new combat challenges to the game in its 3.8 update, dubbed ‘Sentinel’. If you’re playing on PSVR via PlayStation 4 Pro, the update also includes a bump in image quality.

Hello Games released its latest update on all supported platforms yesterday, including PSVR on PS4 and PS5, and SteamVR headsets on PC.

There aren’t a ton of VR specific updates here—No Man’s Sky is already fairly well optimized for VR gameplay. Besides the image quality boost for PS4 Pro users, the studio says it’s modified the positioning of player weapons when in VR, something that ought to help with aiming more naturally. Not much, but we’ll take it.

Image courtesy Hello Games

The Sentinel update instead centers on combat, or more specifically those nosy little police drones that litter the game: sentinels. Up until now, they’ve been mostly just an annoyance, but now sentinels are getting a big boost in abilities for some more engaging PvE action.

You’ll also be able to install a Minotaur AI Pilot within the Exomech, basically making for a mech buddy who follows you around and helps out in combat. There’s a bunch more, including active camo and a few new weapons to play with too.

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Here’s an abbreviated list of changes in the Sentinel update. Check out the full change log here.

  • Three new types of Sentinel Drone have been added: Heavy Combat Drones, Repair Drones and Summoner Drones.
  • Sentinel Drones now deploy static combat shields, creating a dynamic battlefield. Players may manoeuvre to take advantage of these shields for themselves, or open fire to destroy the shield.
  • The sentinels now deploy their forces in greater numbers, to create more dramatic firefights.
  • A new high-level Sentinel has been added, the Hardframe Battle Mech.
  • PC support for AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution 1.0 has been enabled.
  • A new class of weapon has been added – the Neutron Cannon, a charged energy weapon that does not use projectile ammunition.
  • A new class of secondary grenade launcher has been added – the Paralysis Mortar, stun projectiles with a blast radius.
  • A new class of secondary Multi-Tool utility has been added, the Cloaking Device.

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Scott Hayden
Well before the first modern XR products hit the market, Scott recognized the potential of the technology and set out to understand and document its growth. He has been professionally reporting on the space for nearly a decade as Editor at Road to VR, authoring more than 4,000 articles on the topic. Scott brings that seasoned insight to his reporting from major industry events across the globe.