How to Melee Boost in No Man’s Sky

With no less than 18 quintillion planets to explore in No Man’s Sky, any advantage to speed up movement across the surface of alien worlds is a boon. Among them, the melee boost – also known as the dash boost – is one of the easiest and most useful in No Man’s Sky, especially in the early game when traveling on foot is unavoidable. With a few choice upgrades to extend the capacity of the jetpack, you’ll be careening across massive distances and up steep inclines in no time.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through pulling off the perfect melee boost. It isn’t mechanically taxing but can take some practice. Once you’ve nailed it, muscle memory takes over, and you’ll pull it off without a hitch every time. Whether intentionally weaved into the game by Hello Games or not, it’s remained a feature since its launch in 2016, so use and abuse it.

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How to Melee Boost in No Man’s Sky

A melee boost involves combining a melee attack with a jetpack boost. Doing so hurls you forward at great speed.

To pull it off, perform a melee hit and immediately trigger a jetpack boost. On PC, tap Q on your keyboard, followed by the space bar. Hold the space bar to extend the boost; release it to stop and land back on the ground. The idea is to trigger the jetpack boost during the melee attack animation. For an even greater dash, run before doing a melee boost in No Man’s Sky.

As you progress through the game, keep an eye out for upgrades for the jetpack. Installing these enhances the distance you can travel when melee boosting. The Neural Stimulator, Rocket Boots, and Airburst Engine are the best ones to look out for when exploring.