Does No Man's Sky support cross-play?

What is cross-play?

Cross-play (or cross-platform play) is a feature that allows people on different platforms to play the same games together. Usually, people on PS4 can only play multiplayer matches with other people on PS4. With cross-play, depending on which platforms are supported, PS4 players could play with those on PC, Nintendo Switch, or even Xbox One.

It's a feature that's becoming more popular, but still isn't widely available in most titles.

Why does No Man's Sky not support cross-play?

Hello Games' Sean Murray hasn't explicitly stated why No Man's Sky doesn't support cross-play, but it's likely a technological issue. The game's gigantic Beyond update finally adds full-fledged multiplayer for 16-32 people depending on platform, and it's been three years since the game initially released. If an undertaking like this took that long just to get it to work properly between players on the same platform, I'd imagine getting cross-play would be even more difficult and time-consuming.

Is Hello Games planning cross-play for No Man's Sky in the future?

Not at this time. In an interview with Eurogamer, Murray said "maybe one day" it will get cross-play, but from his tone, it appeared to be wishful thinking. As of right now, cross-play just isn't in the cards for No Man's Sky.