Learning how to move faster in No Man’s Sky can make exploration smoother, safer, and much more efficient. Whether you’re sprinting across alien landscapes, climbing treacherous cliffs, or using advanced movement tricks, mastering speed techniques ensures you reach resources and objectives faster. This guide breaks down every method available, from exosuit upgrades to food buffs and the melee jump trick.
Why Movement Speed Matters in No Man’s Sky
No Man’s Sky is built on exploration. Traveling across planets requires covering large distances, often while avoiding environmental hazards or hostile creatures. Faster movement reduces downtime, saves jetpack fuel, and helps you escape dangerous situations. Efficient travel isn’t just about convenience—it’s key to survival and progression.
Upgrade Your Exosuit for Speed
The most fundamental way to increase movement speed is through exosuit upgrades.
Visit a space station to purchase Movement System Upgrades.
These modules improve sprint speed, stamina duration, and jetpack power.
Installing multiple upgrades side by side provides adjacency bonuses, further boosting effectiveness.
Prioritize S-Class modules and make use of supercharged slots for maximum impact.
With the right upgrades, your character’s base mobility improves significantly, making every other technique more effective.
Smart Stamina Management
Sprint efficiency relies on stamina. Mismanaging it slows you down with unnecessary cooldowns.
Avoid letting the stamina bar fully deplete. Stop running just before the bar turns red.
This prevents the long recovery penalty and allows stamina to regenerate faster.
By pacing your sprinting, you can maintain consistent speed over longer distances instead of stopping abruptly.
Climbing Techniques for Steep Terrain
Traversing steep landscapes requires more than brute force.
Zig-zag movement – On steep slopes, moving diagonally reduces the incline and prevents stamina drain.
Jetpack climbing – Hug a cliff face and activate your jetpack while pushing forward. This lets you climb vertically without burning through your entire jetpack fuel.
Both techniques make scaling mountains and cliffs much more manageable, saving time and resources.
Extra Jetpack Boost from Plants
Planetary surfaces often contain flora that temporarily enhances movement.
Look for Dutarium-rich plants, which glow with a distinct blue light.
Interacting with these plants grants a temporary unlimited jetpack boost, allowing you to fly or dash much farther without fuel restrictions.
These plants are rare but incredibly useful for quick bursts of mobility during exploration.
Food Buffs with Nutrient Ingestor
No Man’s Sky’s cooking system isn’t just for fun—it directly improves mobility.
Install a Nutrient Ingestor in your exosuit.
Use the Nutrient Processor (blueprint available at the Anomaly) to craft meals with buffs.
The standout recipe is Perpetual Ice Cream, which boosts jetpack capacity by 320% for 10 minutes.
Combining food buffs with upgrades and jetpack plants creates a powerful synergy for movement speed and stamina.
Mastering the Melee Jump Trick
The most iconic speed technique in No Man’s Sky is the melee jump.
Start with a sprint.
Press melee to perform a quick forward lunge.
Immediately activate the jetpack after the melee.
This sequence launches you forward much faster than running or jetpacking alone. Chaining melee jumps repeatedly (sprint → melee → jetpack) lets you cover ground at incredible speed. Just be sure to conserve a little jetpack fuel for safe landings.
Conclusion
Understanding how to move faster in No Man’s Sky transforms exploration from a grind into a streamlined adventure. With exosuit upgrades, smart stamina use, jetpack plants, food buffs, and the melee jump trick, you can navigate planets with ease. Whether climbing cliffs, farming resources, or escaping danger, mastering these techniques ensures you travel farther, faster, and smarter across the galaxy.