No Man's Sky Save File Location
Here's exactly where No Man's Sky stores your saves on every platform, how to open the folder, and how to back them up.
Save file locations
%APPDATA%\HelloGames\NMS
Full path: C:\Users\<YourName>\AppData\Roaming\HelloGames\NMS\ . Inside is a folder like st_<SteamID> containing save*.hg files and mf_save*.hg metadata.
Settings > Saved Data and Game/App Settings > Saved Data
Console saves are sealed and can't be copied as raw files. Back them up to PS Plus cloud or a USB drive from this menu.
My games & apps > <Game> > Manage game > Saved data
Xbox saves sync automatically to the cloud with your Microsoft account; there is no user-accessible save file on disk.
Cloud saves
On PC, No Man's Sky uses Steam Cloud, so your .hg saves sync across machines with the same account. Because updates are frequent, back up the NMS folder before major patches in case a save needs restoring.
How to open the save folder
- Press Win + R to open the Run box.
- Type %appdata% and press Enter.
- Open the HelloGames folder, then the NMS folder.
- Copy the whole save folder somewhere safe before editing, modding, or moving PCs.
FAQ
Where is the No Man's Sky save file on PC?
It's at C:\Users\<YourName>\AppData\Roaming\HelloGames\NMS. Press Win+R, type %appdata%, then open HelloGames\NMS. Saves are save*.hg files inside a st_<SteamID> subfolder.
How do I back up my No Man's Sky save?
Copy the save*.hg and mf_save*.hg files (or the whole st_<SteamID> folder) to a safe location, then paste them back to restore.
Which .hg file is my latest save?
Each slot has a save.hg / save2.hg pair with a matching mf_ metadata file. The highest-numbered, most recently modified pair is usually your latest autosave.