No Man’s Sky has evolved over many years, so older profile directories can contain naming conventions that differ from current saves. That makes destructive cleanup risky. Archive the whole NMS directory before renaming or moving anything, and keep Microsoft Store WGS data separate from normal desktop .hg files. A future game-specific tool should identify the exact generation and container before writing; Phase 23 only documents the storage and backup boundaries.
For this PC reference, the documented storage is Windows: %APPDATA%HelloGamesNMS
Microsoft Store: %LOCALAPPDATA%PackagesHelloGames.NoMansSky_bs190hzg1sesySystemAppDatawgs | macOS: $HOME/Library/Application Support/HelloGames/NMS/ | Linux / Steam Play: Steam Play: <SteamLibrary-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/275850/pfx/. The known file or folder pattern is save*.hg
mf_save*.hg (current/metadata family; older installs may contain storage*.hg names). No Man's Sky uses profile-scoped .hg save records. The Microsoft Store/Xbox app build uses WGS instead of the same visible Steam/GOG-style files.
Backup guidance: Copy the entire NMS profile directory, including metadata companions, before editing or migrating. For Microsoft Store, preserve the WGS container separately. Storefront cloud support can synchronize the same profile. Cross-platform/cross-save features should be treated as service workflows rather than proof that arbitrary local files are byte-compatible. Launcher and cloud context matters because Desktop storefront files and Microsoft WGS containers are different migration surfaces. Older installations can also contain legacy storage*.hg naming.
Compatibility and recovery should stay conservative. Older 2016/2017 file naming and current save naming can differ. Do not rename historical .hg files blindly without retaining the originals. If the expected progress is not visible, If an older save is not listed, first preserve every .hg record and compare modification times. PCGamingWiki documents historical storage-to-save rename cases, but any rename attempt should be reversible. SaveEditor.com only labels a game-specific editor as available when a separate linked Tool has a verified operational runtime; this reference page by itself is not an editor claim.