Enhancements in No Man’s Sky with Eye-Tracked Dynamic Foveated Rendering
The latest update to No Man’s Sky, dubbed the Cosmos update, introduces a significant advancement in rendering technology for SteamVR users. This update incorporates eye-tracked dynamic foveated rendering, a feature that promises to enhance performance and visual quality just ahead of the anticipated release of Valve’s eye-tracking supported Steam Frame headset.
Buried within the detailed patch notes, two key enhancements stand out:
- Support for foveated rendering on PCVR.
- Utilization of eye-tracking technology to focus rendering resources at the center of the player’s vision, thereby sharpening and beautifying the details that capture attention.
This innovative feature is not entirely new to the game; Hello Games previously implemented foveated rendering for the PlayStation VR2 version in August 2023. Following that update, players noted a marked improvement in visual clarity, addressing earlier complaints about blurry graphics on Sony’s headset. Feedback indicated that the PlayStation version offered a superior visual experience compared to its SteamVR counterpart.
Interestingly, the timing of this update aligns with the growing interest in eye-tracking technology within the PC VR landscape. While several headsets, such as the Meta Quest Pro and Pimax Crystal Super, have supported this feature for some time, the latest Steam hardware survey reveals that the PlayStation VR2 leads with only 2.24% of users. The Quest Pro follows closely at 1.51%. Given that SteamVR typically sees between 1.8 million and 3 million users monthly, the combined total of these two headsets accounts for just over 110,000 users, a fraction of whom are likely engaged with No Man’s Sky. However, the impending launch of Valve’s Steam Frame is expected to usher in a new wave of users equipped with eye-tracking capabilities.
From personal experience, running No Man’s Sky in VR on a PC can be a challenging endeavor. The game’s procedural generation demands significant CPU resources, and the additional GPU load required for high-resolution VR rendering can be taxing, especially for systems that are not top-tier. For instance, on a Quest 3 paired with an RTX 3070 and Ryzen 5 5600X, I found myself reducing the resolution scale to around fifty percent and dialing down graphics settings to achieve a playable framerate, sacrificing visual fidelity in the process. Even after upgrading to a Ryzen 7 9850X3D and RTX 5070 Ti, I still needed to tone down graphics settings from what I typically enjoy on a flat screen.
Given these challenges, the prospect of a standalone version of No Man’s Sky for the Steam Frame, which operates on a mobile chipset, seems unlikely to deliver a smooth experience. Thus, it makes strategic sense for Hello Games to leverage the excitement surrounding the new headset by enhancing No Man’s Sky with eye-tracked dynamic foveated rendering. This update not only aims to attract new users but also encourages existing players to revisit the game as they explore the capabilities of their new hardware.
The Cosmos update is now available across all supported platforms, including SteamVR and PlayStation VR2, offering players a revamped outer space experience complete with orbital bases, space station ownership, and opportunities for salvage operations.
