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.
Identify the exact save you intend to edit
The researched No Man's Sky PC save location 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/. Known file/folder pattern: save*.hg
mf_save*.hg (current/metadata family; older installs may contain storage*.hg names). Storefront context: Steam, GOG Galaxy, Microsoft Store / Xbox app. Desktop storefront files and Microsoft WGS containers are different migration surfaces. Older installations can also contain legacy storage*.hg naming. Do not edit a similarly named file from a different profile, edition, or cloud cache.
Make an untouched backup first
Copy the entire NMS profile directory, including metadata companions, before editing or migrating. For Microsoft Store, preserve the WGS container separately. Keep that copy outside the live save directory and do not overwrite it with later experiments. Cloud context: 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. If a launcher can synchronize the save, prevent it from silently replacing either the original or edited copy while testing.
Understand the format boundary
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. File-extension context: .hg Compatibility note: Older 2016/2017 file naming and current save naming can differ. Do not rename historical .hg files blindly without retaining the originals. These facts help identify the save but do not automatically reveal every field, checksum, encryption rule, or version-specific structure inside it.
Use only a Tool whose claim matches the file
Generic viewers and diff tools can inspect bytes without claiming game-specific semantics. A game-specific editor should be used only when its Tool page explicitly lists No Man's Sky, a matching supported version/container, and a Verified operational runtime. A planned URL or Game Hub is not evidence that an editor exists.
Test the edited copy safely
Write to a new output file when the Tool supports it, keep the original backup, restore the edited copy into the correct profile/storefront location, and launch the game only after the file operation finishes. If the game rejects it, 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. Return to the untouched backup before trying another change.
Verification context: Windows/macOS/Microsoft Store/Steam Play locations and historical .hg naming notes were reviewed against current PCGamingWiki coverage.