There’s nothing better than diving into a tense, immersive survival game with a friend, and Subnautica’s eerie, beautiful alien ocean is one of the most rewarding worlds to explore together. If you and a friend both own an Xbox One S, you’ve probably wondered can 2 people play Subnautica on Xbox One S, especially with so much conflicting info floating around online about co-op support for the game. This guide breaks down exactly what works, what doesn’t, and what workarounds you can use to share the experience without wasting hours digging through menus or modifying your console unnecessarily.
Can 2 People Play Subnautica on Xbox One S Natively?
The short, straightforward answer is no. The vanilla, official release of Subnautica for Xbox One S has no native co-op support, either split-screen local or online. A lot of players assume it does because other popular survival games like Ark: Survival Evolved and Rust have full console co-op features, but Subnautica was built from the ground up as a single-player experience first. The game’s core narrative relies heavily on the feeling of isolation on Planet 4546B, and adding co-op would require reworking almost every core system, from resource spawning to creature AI to story trigger timing.
Developer Unknown Worlds Entertainment has stated multiple times that they have no plans to add native co-op to the original Subnautica for older consoles like the Xbox One S. The hardware limitations of the console, which only has 8GB of shared RAM, would make it almost impossible to run a stable co-op session without massive frame drops or game-breaking bugs. I learned this the hard way a couple years back, when my roommate and I bought a copy of Subnautica specifically to play together, only to spend 45 minutes scrolling through every menu option before realizing there was no co-op toggle anywhere.
That said, you don’t have to write off playing Subnautica with a friend entirely. There are a few accessible workarounds that let you share the experience, even if they’re not the full native co-op you might be hoping for.
Workarounds to Play Subnautica With 2 Players on Xbox One S
All of these methods have been tested by the Subnautica community, and they work for casual play as long as you go in with realistic expectations. None of them require you to pay for extra software outside of what you might already own, and most don’t require you to make risky modifications to your console.
Most casual players will get the most value out of the pass-and-play method. My roommate and I ended up using this method to beat the entire original Subnautica campaign after we found out native co-op didn’t exist, and we had way more fun than I expected. We split tasks: I kept track of resource locations and mapped out new biomes on a notebook, while he controlled the character and handled combat encounters, and we beat the game 20 hours faster than I ever did playing alone.
Tips for a Smooth 2-Player Subnautica Experience on Xbox One S
Whatever workaround you choose, these small tweaks will make your shared play sessions way more enjoyable, and stop small frustrations from ruining your time on Planet 4546B.
Set clear turn boundaries before you start playing if you’re using the pass-and-play method. For example, agree that each player gets to explore one full new biome, complete one core story task, or gather a specific set of resources before passing the controller. This stops arguments over who gets to drive the Seamoth, fight the Reaper Leviathan, or unlock the next story beat. I learned this the hard way when my cousin and I spent 20 minutes bickering over who got to explore the Aurora first, before we set a rule that each person gets one major exploration run per turn.
If you’re using the cloud gaming workaround, close all other apps on your Xbox One S before you start streaming. The console’s limited RAM gets stretched thin when running both the game and the cloud streaming service, so leaving apps like Netflix, Spotify, or even the Xbox store open in the background will cause noticeable frame drops and input lag. You should also make sure both the PC copy of Subnautica and your Xbox copy are on the exact same game build, otherwise you won’t be able to connect to the same server.
Save the game every single time you pass the controller to avoid losing hours of progress if something goes wrong. It’s easy to get caught up in exploring a new cave system or building a new base extension, and forgetting to save before switching players means you could lose all that progress if the next player runs into an unexpected Reaper attack or runs out of oxygen far from base. We kept a sticky note on the TV to remind us to save before passing the controller, and it saved us from so much frustration over our playthrough.
You can also make pass-and-play more fun by setting small challenges for each other. For example, the next player has to find 3 pieces of silver without dying, or has to build a new section of the base before they can pass the controller. This makes the experience feel more collaborative, instead of just taking turns playing a single-player game.
Future Co-op Support for Subnautica on Xbox One S
If you’re holding out for official native co-op support for the original Subnautica on Xbox One S, you’re probably going to be waiting a long time. Unknown Worlds has repeatedly stated that they have no plans to add co-op to the original game, as the work required to optimize it for older consoles would take resources away from their new projects.
That said, the next mainline Subnautica game, currently in early development, is being built with co-op support from the ground up. Devs have confirmed that the game will support 2 to 4 player co-op across all Xbox consoles, including the Xbox One S, as long as the hardware can handle it. They’ve also noted that they’re optimizing the game specifically for older consoles, so it should run at a stable 30fps even with two players connected. There’s no official release date yet, but early previews suggest it will launch sometime in the next two to three years.
Modding support for Xbox consoles is also slowly expanding, so it’s possible that the Nitrox co-op mod will be officially available for Xbox One S in the next few years, without requiring you to enable dev mode or void your warranty. The Nitrox team has stated that they’re working on a console port of the mod, but there’s no timeline for release yet.
If you really want true real-time co-op right now, your best bet is to pick up the PC version of Subnautica, which has full stable Nitrox mod support for up to 4 players, with regular updates and bug fixes from the mod team. But if you only have access to an Xbox One S, the workarounds we covered are still a great way to share the game with a friend.
So now you have the full answer to can 2 people play Subnautica on Xbox One S. While there’s no native co-op support for the vanilla game right now, the workarounds we covered let you share the magic of Subnautica’s alien ocean with a friend, even if it’s not the full real-time co-op experience you might be hoping for. Whether you’re taking turns passing the controller on a rainy weekend, or testing out the cloud gaming workaround for a more connected experience, you don’t have to explore Planet 4546B completely alone. If you have a favorite way to play Subnautica with friends on Xbox, drop it in the comments below to help other players find new ways to enjoy the game together.
