The Shadow X-1 – The Fastest Ship in No Man‘s Sky
After extensive testing across updates, the exotic ship Shadow X-1 remains the fastest playable starship in No Man‘s Sky. With maxed out upgrades and boost engaged, it can reach atmospheric speeds over 150u/s and space speeds beyond 10,000u/s.
Speed Comparison Across Ship Classes
I‘ve spent hundreds of hours analyzing ship speeds in NMS. While performance depends heavily on upgrades, here‘s a general overview of velocity capabilities across the main ship classes:
| Ship Class | Atmospheric Speed | Space Speed |
|---|---|---|
| Hauler | 25-75u/s | 1000-4000u/s |
| Fighter | 50-100u/s | 2000-6000u/s |
| Explorer | 75-125u/s | 3000-7000u/s |
| Exotic | 100-150u/s | 5000-10000u/s |
| Solar | 80-120u/s | 6000-12000u/s |
| Living Ship | 90-130u/s | 4000-9000u/s |
As you can see, exotic ships have the highest velocity potential, especially the Shadow X-1.
What Makes the Shadow X-1 Unmatched?
Three key factors give the Shadow X-1 blistering speed:
- High base maneuverability and pulse drive
- Extra technology slots for upgrades
- Streamlined design to reduce atmospheric drag
Its elongated silhouette and downward sloping wings let it slice through air and water with ease. The positioned thrusters also provide excellent stability and responsiveness during flight.
While not the roomiest at 20+4 slots, the storage is sufficient for most explorers. And you won‘t find another ship that can jump between stars and planets as rapidly.
Challengers to the Speed Crown
Many ships can still achieve great speeds, especially with full upgrades:
- Exotics – Similar stats to the Shadow X-1
- Living Ships – Solid velocity and autonomy
- Solar – Optimized for warping between systems
- Fighters – High damage and defense too
And if you‘re daring enough, you can even upgrade freighter hyperdrives to warp thousands of light years in one jump!
But for most travellers, the Shadow X-1 hits the sweet spot of speed, storage, and style. I‘ll be shocked if any future ship dethrones its velocity crown!
Safe journeys to all rocketeers across the NMS metaverse!
