Subnautica

Subnautica is a survival adventure on the alien ocean planet 4546B. After the crash of the spaceship Aurora, a survivor is stranded in an escape pod. For his exploration he gathers raw materials and builds equipment, vehicles and underwater bases.

The open ocean world combines freely accessible habitats with a connected story. Radio messages, data finds and traces of earlier expeditions point the way without fixing the sequence of events.

Subnautica was released for PC on January 23, 2018. On December 4 of the same year, the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions followed. Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S arrived in May 2021.

The iOS and Android versions were released on July 8, 2025. Since February 17, 2026, there has been a standalone Nintendo Switch 2 version. Owners of the original Switch version can switch to this edition for free.

Subnautica is available for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, and iOS and Android. Besides Windows, macOS is also supported. The adventure is designed for a single player.

The Switch 2 version offers improved visuals and Joy-Con 2 mouse controls. On smartphones and tablets there is an adapted touch interface and controller support.

Exploring, crafting and surviving are the core of Subnautica. Players dive into ever deeper ocean areas, collect materials and unlock blueprints by scanning found items. Tools, diving gear and vehicles open up further paths.

In normal survival mode, you need to keep an eye on oxygen, food and water. Larger predators and limited diving depth mean that new regions can only be explored cautiously at first.

Subnautica: Below Zero is a standalone adventure, not an expansion of the first game. It tells a new story in an icy region of Planet 4546B. Subnautica 2 is also released as a standalone part of the series.

If you own the original Nintendo Switch version of Subnautica, you can get the technically enhanced Switch 2 edition for free. The upgrade does not add a new campaign.

Subnautica requires at least 4 GB RAM, DirectX 11 and 20 GB storage on Windows PC. Steam lists an Intel Haswell with two cores and four threads at 2.5 GHz as the minimum processor, or a comparable model. At least an Intel HD 4600 is listed as the graphics solution.

Recommended: 8 GB RAM, a Haswell quad-core at 3.2 GHz and a GeForce GTX 550 Ti with 2 GB graphics memory. The Steam client itself now requires a newer Windows version than the original game requirements.

Subnautica's ocean world includes coral reefs, kelp forests and cave systems. Each habitat has its own resources, creatures and dangers.

Wrecks and abandoned facilities contain blueprints and traces of earlier expeditions. New equipment and vehicles gradually open up deeper zones.

Underwater bases are retreats and starting points for new dives. Players build rooms, power plants and storage. At greater depths, the structural strength of buildings must also be considered.

Seaglide and Seamoth let you reach more distant regions. For more demanding expeditions, the PRAWN suit and the large submarine Cyclops are available.

The crash of the Aurora is the starting point of a larger story about Planet 4546B. The seabed holds remains of human endeavors and clues to an alien civilization.

Radio messages and stored messages add to the discoveries. Many important details are found while exploring rather than in long cutscenes.

Subnautica offers four game modes with different requirements. In survival mode, oxygen, food and water must be managed. Freedom mode drops hunger and thirst, while hardcore mode allows only one attempt.

Creative mode focuses on exploration and building projects without the usual survival limits. The story can also be explored without a fixed difficulty curve.

On Switch 2, Subnautica supports up to 60 frames per second and Joy-Con 2 mouse controls. In TV mode, the standard display reaches 1440p, and in handheld mode 1080p.

Three graphics profiles let you choose between picture quality and smooth performance. Owners of the Switch version get the new version for free.

The iOS and Android versions include the underwater adventure with an adapted interface. Playdigious developed the mobile port together with Unknown Worlds. Play is possible via touch controls or a supported controller.

On mobile devices, save games can be transferred between compatible devices via cloud storage. The mobile version was released on July 8, 2025 for both systems.

The PC version supports VR via SteamVR. Keyboard and mouse or a game controller are still required for controls. Without VR, the game can be played fully on screen.

German menu text and subtitles are available, the English voice-over remains. Steam states full controller support and warns about flashing lights.