- How much better are PC graphics compared to PS4 graphics?...
I've never tried it on PS4, but I'd say that draw distance and pop-in are still an issue on PC - you can adjust settings to help, but it's quite normal to have a tree suddenly rise up in front of you when flying low over the ground. I hear that 2.13 includes a raft of performance improvements, so this may allow yet more draw-distance in the settings.
Others with more powerful GFX cards may have less of an issue - I have a 2Gb GTX 770.
- What's the community like on PC - are there lots of players?...
I play on GoG and when visiting the <orb thing> there are always at least a few around - I can't say I've found them overly chatty, but then neither am I - but I've still had a few nice conversations with other 'anomalies'
- there's also some inter-player bartering/gifting that goes on
- I hear that NMS can be modded. Is this still the case today?...
Yes. I play with the reduced launch-fuel mod, which helps early days. It's very easy to mod. Unpack the files, put them in the GoG/Steam game directory and rename/delete the file called "DisableMods.txt ". There are
plenty of mods out there, however each release can cause issues. On PC there is also a save-game editor, which can help avoid having to spend too much time collecting raw materials ( I find this disrupts my flow when mid-way through building a base).
- How is the game's stability (cough bugs cough) on PC these days?
I had a bad period a month or two back, but
recently it seems much improved - make sure you disable any overlays (e.g. Discord, GoG overlay).
I seem to be the odd one out around here, and most seem to have no problems.
2.13 comes with a raft of crash-fixes.
- Can I fly with a HOTAS or joystick? Are these things configurable? How about my DS4 controller?
Never tried it. I stick to an x-box gamepad, it's not really a flight sim and it makes swapping between Kb+Mouse much easier.
I have a Thrustmaster HOTAS for ED and have never considered using it for NMS.
- How customizable are the PC graphics settings?
There seems plenty to adjust - I'll grab a screen shot and post it here later.
Hope this helps.
EDIT -
I've since moved planet quality up to ultra with little impact on performance and a decent improvement to draw distances etc - so it's worth trying.