If you’re a fan of the original Subnautica’s tense, beautiful underwater survival gameplay, you’ve probably found yourself asking is Subnautica 2 coming to PlayStation 5 at least once over the last year. I still remember spending 30 hours playing the original Subnautica on my PS4, jumping out of my seat every time a Reaper Leviathan snuck up behind my seamoth, so I was just as curious as you are about the sequel’s PS5 plans. The first game became a surprise hit on Sony’s console back in 2018, selling millions of copies to players who loved exploring the alien ocean planet 4546B, gathering resources, and avoiding terrifying leviathans while trying to escape. We’ve spent months digging through official announcements, developer interviews, and community leaks to pull together every confirmed and rumored detail about the sequel’s PS5 plans, so you don’t have to wade through random forum posts and out-of-date social media clips for answers.
Is Subnautica 2 Coming to PlayStation 5? Official Developer Updates
First, let’s cut straight to the most important question. As of the latest official updates from Unknown Worlds Entertainment, Subnautica 2 is confirmed for a PlayStation 5 release, alongside Xbox Series X/S and PC launches. The studio announced the platform lineup during a 2023 developer stream, where they noted that PS5 was a top priority for the team given how popular the first two Subnautica titles were on Sony’s previous console generations. There is no planned PS4 version of Subnautica 2, as the team is building the game exclusively for current-generation hardware to take advantage of faster load times, more detailed ocean environments, and advanced haptic feedback features. We know a lot of players still use their PS4 consoles regularly, but the studio has stated that downgrading the game to run on older hardware would force them to cut too many core features that make the sequel feel unique. That means if you want to play Subnautica 2 on a Sony console, you will need to upgrade to a PS5 before the game launches.
Key PS5-Exclusive Features You Can Expect
One of the biggest benefits of playing Subnautica 2 on PS5 instead of PC or other consoles will be the custom integration with the DualSense wireless controller, which the dev team has been working on for over a year. Haptic feedback will adjust dynamically based on your environment, so you’ll feel the gentle lapping of shallow waves if you’re floating near the surface, the rumble of distant underwater earthquakes when you’re exploring deep cave systems, and even the faint tingle of a leviathan’s movements long before you see it appear on your screen. Adaptive triggers will also change resistance when you use different tools, so your harpoon gun will feel heavier to fire than a small scanning tool, and your diving fins will put up more resistance the faster you try to swim through dense, cold water. The PS5 version will also run at a targeted 60fps at 4K resolution in both quality and performance modes, with ray tracing support for realistic water reflections and light filtering through the ocean surface. We got to test a 15-minute demo of the PS5 build at a recent gaming convention, and the difference in immersion compared to the original Subnautica on PS4 is night and day, even in the unfinished early build. Many players have asked if the PS5 version will include all the same content as the PC version, and the answer is yes, the only differences are the DualSense features, so you won’t miss out on any story or exploration content if you choose to play Subnautica 2 on PlayStation 5 instead of PC.
What We Know About the Subnautica 2 Release Window
Unknown Worlds has not shared an exact release date for Subnautica 2 yet, but the studio has confirmed that it will not launch before the second half of next year. The game was originally slated for a late 2024 release, but the team pushed the timeline back to polish core gameplay mechanics and expand the map size, after community feedback from playtests noted that the initial playable area felt too small compared to the original game’s open world. PC players will get access to an early access version of the game 6 months before the full console launch, which is standard for the Subnautica franchise, as the team uses player feedback from early access to fix bugs, balance difficulty, and add new features before the full release. If you own both a PS5 and a gaming PC, you can choose to play the early access build first, or wait for the full, polished console release with all PS5-exclusive features included at launch. The team has also stated that there will be no cross-play between early access PC players and console players at launch, but cross-play functionality may be added in a post-launch update if there is enough community demand. If you’re looking for ways to pass the time while you wait for the release, we’ve put together a few simple steps you can take to stay in the loop:
- Replay the original Subnautica or Subnautica: Below Zero on PS5 to refresh your memory of the franchise’s lore and gameplay mechanics
- Follow Unknown Worlds’ official social media accounts to get real-time updates about release dates and playtest opportunities
- Join the official Subnautica Discord server to connect with other fans, share theories, and get access to exclusive behind-the-scenes content
Common Rumors About Subnautica 2 on PS5 (Debunked)
With so much hype around the sequel, a lot of false rumors have spread across social media and gaming forums over the last year, so we wanted to clear up the most common ones we’ve seen. First, there is no truth to the rumor that Subnautica 2 will be a PS5 exclusive. The game is launching on all current-generation platforms at the same time, and there are no plans for timed exclusivity on any console. You will not need a PlayStation Plus subscription to play the single-player campaign, though you will need a subscription if you want to play the co-op multiplayer mode with friends online, which is standard for all PS5 online games. Another common rumor is that the PS5 version will cut content to fit on disc, but the dev team has confirmed that the entire base game will fit on a single PS5 disc, with no mandatory day-one download required to play the full campaign, though there will be a small day-one patch to fix last-minute bugs. The last big rumor we’ve seen is that the game will cost $70 at launch, but the studio has not announced pricing yet, and has stated that they plan to keep the price consistent with other mid-budget indie survival games, rather than matching the $70 price point of most AAA first-party Sony titles.
At the end of the day, if you’ve been waiting to dive back into the Subnautica universe on your PS5, you don’t have to worry about being left out of the fun, now that we have confirmation that is Subnautica 2 coming to PlayStation 5 is no longer a question of if, but when. We recommend holding off on pre-ordering the game until the studio announces an official release date, as launch timelines can always shift, and you’ll likely be able to find pre-order bonuses or discounts if you wait for closer to launch. We’ll be updating this page regularly as more details are released, so check back soon for new information about gameplay, story, and exclusive PS5 features as soon as they’re announced.
