No Man's Sky's NEXT update gets new details

No Man's Sky fans are having a pretty good time lately, as the game has been consistently improving since launch two years ago, and now Sean Murray has taken to the PlayStation blog to reveal that the big NEXT update will release on July 24, which is next week.

"On behalf of myself, and the team at Hello Games, I just want to say 'thank you'. We are so excited to have made NEXT, and to continue to improve and develop No Man's Sky, because of you, the community who play, explore and share this universe with us. It means so much to us," Murray writes, before giving us some juicy details.

This NEXT update is a multiplayer experience to make the world richer, and as part of this you can team up with either friends or random travelers to enjoy the world. If you're feeling less friendly though, you can prey on others to stay alive, although the more welcoming among you may enjoy shelters and colonies for your fellow man. Space battles are also included, as are exocraft races where you can craft your own tracks, and character customisation too.

There's a visual overhaul with the update as well, as the game is fully playable in either third- or first-person, and there are improved visuals in space for that authentic experience too, not to mention the better planetary terrain generation, ground textures, clouds, water, ship and NPC details, buildings, and more.

Bases can now be built anywhere on any planet as part of the update too, with the whole building process increased in terms of size and complexity. You can even own multiple bases and kit each out with hundreds of new base parts and freighters which you can command. If you're feeling like a general you can even assemble and upgrade a fleet of frigates which you can then command from your freighter, perhaps when you're taking on multiplayer missions from the Galactic Commission Station.

"Nearly two years ago, our small team of friends, with a shared love sci-fi, opened up the universe of No Man's Sky for the first time. It was an innovative, weird and at times lonely game. I loved that, it reminded me of the science fiction books I grew up with," Murray continued. "This is an incredibly important update for us, but it's also just another step in a longer journey, and we'll continue to support No Man's Sky in this way for the foreseeable future."

Is this set to be the best update so far?