Hello Games has announced that No Man's Sky will receive its next major update, called Beyond, on August 14. The Beyond expansion includes the ability to play the entire game in virtual reality and expands its online multiplayer functionality. It will be a free update on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

Beyond includes No Man's Sky Online, which introduces a new social and multiplayer experience, allowing players to meet and play together. Hello Games previously announced this feature as an easier way to meet up and play with your friends, but it says it doesn't consider this a shift to an MMO structure because it doesn't feature a subscription or microtransactions.

The update also brings NMS Virtual Reality to PS4 and PC, letting you explore the entire procedurally generated galaxy in VR. There is also a third component to the update that Hello Games is not yet talking about.

This is the seventh major expansion to No Man's Sky. Last year, the game received the Next expansion, which was such a major overhaul we named it one of the best expansions of 2018. It also recently released the underwater Abyss expansion and tons of new biomes in the Visions expansion.

All of this has helped revive the game after a release window that some considered disappointing. Hello Games recently opened up about why it went dark after No Man Sky's rocky launch, and how attempting to placate the fans with words wouldn't have worked.