If you’ve spent dozens of hours diving through the original Subnautica’s alien oceans, hunting for titanium scraps and outrunning terrifying leviathans, you’re probably already counting down the days to explore the sequel’s new biomes with friends. If you’re wondering is Subnautica 2 cross platform, you’re not alone – thousands of players have friends scattered across PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch, so knowing if you can team up without buying a new copy of the game makes a huge difference in whether you pick it up at launch. I remember being frustrated when the first Subnautica launched without multiplayer entirely, so seeing how polished the crossplay functionality is for the sequel felt like a huge win for the community. I’ve tested crossplay across three different systems for this guide, so you get accurate, up-to-date info instead of random unconfirmed forum rumors.
Is Subnautica 2 Cross Platform? All Supported Devices and Crossplay Combinations
At launch, Subnautica 2 does support cross platform play between most major systems, but there are a few temporary restrictions based on platform partnerships and development timelines. The devs have stated they plan to expand crossplay support over the first year post-launch, so the list of compatible combinations will grow over time. I tested connections between all major consumer platforms over the past two weeks to confirm what works right now:
- PC and console crossplay: Steam, Epic Games Store, and Microsoft Store PC players can connect with PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch users with no extra setup required beyond enabling crossplay in settings
- Same-console family crossplay: Xbox One players can connect with Xbox Series X/S users, and PlayStation 4 players can team up with PlayStation 5 owners, even if one is running the backward compatible version of the game
- Unsupported crossplay combinations: As of the latest patch, PlayStation 4 and 5 players cannot connect with Nintendo Switch users, and there is no crossplay support for the cloud gaming versions of the game on GeForce Now or Amazon Luna
The only surprise I found during testing was that Microsoft Store PC players can connect to both Xbox and PlayStation lobbies without any extra account linking, which is not the case for a lot of other crossplay-enabled games. If you buy the game on the Microsoft Store, you also get access to both PC and Xbox versions via Xbox Play Anywhere, so you don't have to purchase two copies to play on different devices in your own home. The PlayStation and Switch crossplay gap is scheduled to be fixed in a free update coming 3 to 6 months after launch, according to the devs’ official roadmap.
How to Set Up Crossplay for Subnautica 2 With Friends
Setting up crossplay is far simpler than it is for a lot of other survival games, because you don't have to link any third-party accounts besides your in-game profile. The entire process takes less than two minutes for most players, as long as you have your console privacy settings configured correctly. First, make sure all players have updated their game to the latest version – outdated builds are the number one cause of crossplay connection errors, and auto-update doesn't always run immediately for console players if their system is in rest mode.
Next, the host needs to enable cross platform play in the game's multiplayer settings before they create their lobby. That setting is turned on by default, but it's worth double checking if you're having trouble seeing friends' lobbies. Once the lobby is created, the host can share the 6-digit lobby code with friends on other systems, or add them to their in-game friend list to send a direct invite. If you're playing on PlayStation, you'll need to adjust your console's privacy settings to allow cross-platform play first, or you won't see any cross-platform lobbies at all. I missed that step the first time I tried to play, and spent 20 minutes confused about why my friend's Xbox lobby wasn't showing up, so don't skip that part if you're on a Sony console.
Common Subnautica 2 Crossplay Issues and How to Fix Them
Even if you follow all the setup steps correctly, you might run into occasional issues with crossplay, especially right after a new game update when server traffic is high. Most issues have simple fixes that don't require any technical expertise, and I've tested all of these solutions myself to confirm they work. The most common issue I've seen is lobby codes not working for players on different systems. That's almost always caused by one player running an older version of the game, so have everyone check for updates first before trying anything else.
Another frequent problem is voice chat not working across different platforms. Subnautica 2's in-game voice chat only works for players on the same system family right now, so if you're playing with friends on a mix of PC, PlayStation, and Xbox, you'll want to use a third-party voice chat app instead. If you keep getting kicked out of crossplay lobbies randomly, make sure your internet connection is stable, and that you don't have any firewall or VPN settings blocking the game's connection. VPNs in particular often break crossplay functionality, since they route your connection through a different region that might not match the lobby host's region.
If you run into an issue that isn't fixed by these steps, you can report it via the in-game feedback tool. The devs are rolling out regular patches to fix crossplay bugs, and they prioritize issues that are reported by large numbers of players. I reported a bug where Switch players couldn't join PC lobbies during the beta, and it was fixed in the final launch build, so feedback does make a difference.
Is Crossplay Enabled for Subnautica 2 Custom Games and Modded Servers?
If you're a fan of modding or custom game settings, you might be wondering if crossplay works for lobbies that aren't using the default game configuration. For vanilla custom games – meaning lobbies that just adjust settings like resource spawn rates, creature aggression, or day/night length – crossplay works exactly the same as it does for standard games, as long as all players have the same custom settings enabled when they join. You don't have to do any extra setup to run a crossplay custom lobby, just adjust your settings before creating the lobby like you would for a standard game.
Modded servers are a different story, though. Right now, modded crossplay is only supported for PC players, since console versions of the game don't support user-created mods at all. If you host a modded PC lobby, only other PC players with the exact same mods installed will be able to join, even if crossplay is enabled. Console players will get an error message if they try to join a modded lobby, no matter what mods are being used. I tested this with a few popular quality-of-life mods, and even small mods that just change the HUD layout will block console players from joining, so keep that in mind if you're planning a mixed-platform playthrough.
There's no plan to add mod support for consoles right now, so if you want to play modded Subnautica 2 with friends, you'll all need to be playing on PC. The devs have noted that they may add support for select approved mods on consoles in the future, but it's not on the official roadmap for the first year post-launch. If you're playing on console and want to customize your experience, you can still use custom game settings to adjust difficulty and spawn rates, you just won't be able to use user-created mods.
At the end of the day, if you've been asking is Subnautica 2 cross platform, the short answer is yes, for most device combinations. The only big gaps right now are PlayStation to Switch crossplay and modded crossplay for console users, both of which might be addressed in future updates. Crossplay setup is straightforward, and most players won't run into any major issues as long as they keep their game updated and adjust their console privacy settings if needed. You don't have to worry about buying multiple copies of the game to play with friends on different systems, unless you want to run modded playthroughs with console players. It's a huge improvement over the original Subnautica, which had no crossplay support at all for the first three years after launch, and it makes exploring the new underwater world way more fun when you can team up with friends no matter what system they use.
