Subnautica 2 System Requirements: PC, Steam Deck and Mac

01

Minimum and recommended PC specs

This is the official list from the Steam store:

Both tiers require a 64-bit processor and operating system. Unknown Worlds' own chart pairs the Subnautica 2 minimum requirements with 1080p on the Low preset at 30 FPS, and the recommended PC with 1440p on Medium at 60 FPS, so treat the minimum as an entry point rather than a smooth high-detail experience.

If you searched for subnautica 2 requisitos, the Spanish and Portuguese versions of the Steam page list exactly the same hardware. Steam includes Spanish (Latin America) and Portuguese (Brazil) among its 11 supported languages, with full audio only in English. Steam does not list an SSD requirement, and although both tiers mention a broadband connection, the official sources we checked do not say whether single-player works offline.

02

Ultra and Ultra++ specs from Unknown Worlds

On May 1, 2026, before launch, Unknown Worlds posted a PC requirements chart on Steam with two extra tiers above the store listing. The post said further optimizations would come over the course of development and that the chart would be updated as things change.

Every tier above the minimum lists Windows 11. Notice that the Ultra tier keeps the recommended processor and mainly adds graphics power and memory, while Ultra++ is the only tier aimed at 4K.

03

Steam Deck: Subnautica 2 is Verified

Valve's testing rates Subnautica 2 Verified on Steam Deck, which means it is fully functional with the built-in controls and display. The Steam store lists four passed checks: everything works with the default controller configuration, the game shows Steam Deck controller icons, interface text is legible, and the default graphics configuration performs well on the Deck. Steam also lists full controller support for the game.

Valve adds one note: the game does not default to external Bluetooth or USB controllers, so you may need to switch the active controller in the Quick Access Menu. For other devices running SteamOS, Valve rates it Compatible and warns that performance and input can vary with your hardware. The Adaptive Measures update also fixed jittery Settings menu scrolling on handheld devices and handhelds showing mouse-and-keyboard prompts on first launch. We found no Deck-specific graphics advice from Unknown Worlds.

04

Subnautica 2 Mac and Linux support

There is no Subnautica 2 Mac version on Steam, and Unknown Worlds has not announced one. Steam lists Windows as the only supported platform, with no macOS or Linux build, and the official launch post names only Steam, the Epic Games Store and Xbox. No PlayStation or Nintendo Switch version has been announced in the official sources we checked.

With only a Mac, the realistic option in official sources is cloud streaming, and Unknown Worlds does not present it as Mac support. The Xbox store lists Xbox Cloud Gaming: streaming is included with Game Pass Ultimate, while Essential and Premium members must buy the game to stream it. Microsoft's cloud gaming page says you can play through supported browsers such as Edge, Chrome or Safari.

Nothing we found from Unknown Worlds or on the Steam page mentions CrossOver or Boot Camp, so this guide cannot confirm either. On Linux there is no native build, and Valve's Deck and SteamOS ratings cover SteamOS devices rather than every Linux setup.

05

Xbox Series X|S and the Xbox app on PC

On Xbox the game is sold as Subnautica 2 (Game Preview), and the only console listed is Xbox Series X|S; Xbox One is not among the listed devices. The store tags it Optimized for Xbox Series X|S and lists 4K Ultra HD, Xbox Play Anywhere, Xbox cloud saves and cross-platform co-op for 2 to 4 players. It is included with PC Game Pass and Game Pass Ultimate.

Online multiplayer on console requires Game Pass Essential, Premium or Ultimate. The Xbox store's PC listing gives no CPU, GPU or RAM figures, only Windows 10 version 18362.0 or higher on a 64-bit (x64) system, so use the hardware tiers above when you judge a PC. The multiplayer and crossplay guide explains how mixed-platform sessions work.

06

Graphics settings that affect performance

According to the official wiki's Settings page, a Run Hardware Benchmark button tests your PC and applies a preset based on the result. Presets are Low, Medium, High, Epic and Custom, with Medium as the default, and individual options cover global illumination, shadows, view distance, textures, shading, foliage, effects, reflections, post processing, landscape and clouds. Reflections use screen-space reflections at Medium or lower and switch to ray tracing on higher settings.

Upscaling can be Off, TSR (the default) or NVIDIA DLSS. With TSR you pick a 30 or 60 FPS target, and the game moves its internal resolution between a minimum and a maximum to stay above it; the wiki notes that lower internal resolution can raise frame rate significantly. The frame rate limit offers Off, 30, 60, 120 or 144, and the wiki says Fullscreen runs slightly faster than the windowed modes.

The field of view slider arrived with Adaptive Measures and runs from 80 to 110 (default 90); very high values may cost performance. NVIDIA owners also get Reflex (Off, On or Boost), and the Buddy System update added 5x and 6x Frame Generation plus Dynamic Frame Generation for RTX 5000 series cards.

07

Performance fixes in recent patches

Several patches since launch have targeted performance and stability:

• Early Access Hotfix 1 (May 19) improved the startup-crash message for AMD graphics cards and DirectX 12 issues.
• Early Access Hotfix 2 (May 22) improved performance on Epic visual settings.
• Early Access Hotfix 3 (June 1) fixed DLSS crashes, made Frame Generation available in versions where it was missing and upgraded DLSS to version 4.5.
• Adaptive Measures (July 8) removed a 60 FPS cap on gaming laptops with NVIDIA GPUs and fixed performance degrading over time in the Metal Farms area.
• Hotfix 4 (July 14) fixed two low-volume crashes and made the new FOV slider appear on Xbox.
• Buddy System Hotfix 2 (October 6) turns VSync off when DLSS Dynamic Frame Generation is selected and fixes an Xbox memory leak.

For the full patch history and what is coming next, see our updates and roadmap guide.

08

Before you buy

If your PC sits near the minimum, Unknown Worlds' chart pairs that hardware with 1080p on Low, which makes a sensible starting point, and the benchmark button is a quick way to pick a preset. On Steam Deck, Valve found that the default graphics configuration performs well, so start there. Remember that this is an Early Access game, so performance can shift from patch to patch; our Early Access guide explains what is in the current build, and the beginner's guide helps once you are in the water.