No Man's Sky - regarded as the greatest gaming comeback ever by some - is free this weekend

No Man's Sky has a new update and the game will be free to play over the coming weekend, if you've never tried it, and wondered what all the fuss was about.

The expansive survival game set in space actually launched way back in 2016 - can you believe it was that long ago? - but has just got an expansion.

And with this Omega update, the publisher of No Man's Sky has made it so anyone can jump on and play, for free, from now until February 19. So you've got the entire weekend to get stuck in, see as much as you can, and work out whether this game is for you.

The weekend-long freebie is available to PC gamers on Steam, and also all major consoles (Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch), and Apple Macs, too.

The Omega update introduces a new ship, the Starborn Runner (which is capable of hovering above the ground), and a fresh expedition as well.

Of the latter, the developer writes:

"Answer the call of the universe in a new community expedition. All participating Travellers begin a journey together on the beautiful planet Nafut Gamma, and plot a course through the galaxy. Explore, build, fight, and more through a diverse set of milestones, and unpick the threads of a mystery involving the past, the present, and what could be..."

If you enjoy the trial on PC, the Steam version is currently 50% off if you decide you want to buy the full version of No Man's Sky. (That sale runs until February 26).

No Man's Sky was a pretty big disappointment when it first launched all those years ago, but has improved vastly since. To the point that on numerous occasions it has been cited as the greatest comeback ever seen in the arena of video gaming (or certainly among the top shining examples).