Several No Man's Sky players on PS4 request refunds from Sony due to crashes, misleading marketing, and claims that the game gave them motion sickness.

Although the launch of Hello Games’ space exploration game No Man’s Sky has been highly successful, it has not come without controversy. While Hello Games founder Sean Murray has admitted that the title is "super divisive," the developer may not have been prepared for the backlash.

Some players have been left feeling misled following allegations that Hello Games tried to hide the release's lack of multiplayer features. Others have been disappointed that the much-delayed (and highly anticipated) title did not live up to their expectations. It comes as little surprise then that several unhappy No Man’s Sky players have asked for a refund.

Speaking to Eurogamer, several disgruntled players who purchased the PS4 version of the game say that they contacted Sony about getting their money back. The PS4 players cite several reasons for their refund requests as one says that the game crashed three times during an hour and a half when he first started playing, also saying that the promotional material featured on the PlayStation Store was misleading. Two other players also point to crashes and misleading marketing as the cause of their frustrations, while one other player said No Man’s Sky gave them motion sickness.

According to the refund policy detailed on the PlayStation website, players can request a refund within 14 days of purchase, and if they haven’t started downloading or streaming the game. Games that players have begun downloading/streaming can only be refunded if the content is "faulty," which these PS4 players will argue is the case. However, it’s not quite as simple as that, for two of the players who requested refunds successfully were offered their money back, but were also told by Sony representatives that in accepting the refunds they wouldn’t be able to play No Man’s Sky on PS4 ever again – either with a digital or a retail copy – and that the system that Sony runs in the background would not let them play it.

In a follow up statement, a Sony spokesperson notes that Hello Games is working on a No Man’s Sky patch for PS4, also saying that "in instances where players receive a refund, they will of course be able to re-purchase the game at later date and play." As of the time of writing, this information is not present in the refund policy that is detailed on the PlayStation website.

While it could be a case of crossed wires between the support team and those responsible for updating the site, the confusing information comes in stark contrast to the Steam refund policy which sees players automatically get their money back if they request a refund within 14 days of purchase and if the game has been played for less than two hours. All of the No Man's Sky players mentioned have since dropped their refund requests – even considering the update from Sony – but this likely isn’t going to be the last time that someone takes issue with the company's policy.

No Man’s Sky is available for PC and PlayStation 4.

Source: Eurogamer, PlayStation