If you’ve spent dozens of hours scanning alien fish, building multi-level seabases, and narrowly escaping shadow leviathans in the original Subnautica, you’re probably already hyped for the next entry in the franchise. One of the most common questions popping up in community forums, Reddit threads, and official dev Q&As right now is is subnautica 2 gonna be cross platform, and for good reason. Crossplay support lets you team up with friends no matter what console or PC storefront they use, so you don’t have to coordinate a platform purchase just to explore the new alien ocean together. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve had to talk a friend into buying a game on Steam instead of their usual Xbox just to play co-op, so crossplay is the first feature I look for in any new multiplayer survival title these days. We’ve dug through all official dev updates, leaked details, and community teases to put together every confirmed and rumored detail about cross-platform support for the next Subnautica title.
What We Know Right Now: Is Subnautica 2 Gonna Be Cross Platform?
As of the latest developer update from Unknown Worlds Entertainment, cross-platform play is not yet 100% confirmed for launch, but all signs point to it being a core feature when the game drops. The studio has a long track record of adding crossplay support to their existing titles, including Subnautica: Below Zero, which got full crossplay between PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S in 2023, two years after its initial launch. Crossplay support is listed as a "core feature goal" in the dev team's public development roadmap that was shared with the community last quarter.
It’s important to note that the team hasn’t shared exact details of how crossplay will work, or if all platforms will be included at launch. They did note in a recent Twitch Q&A that they are prioritizing crossplay for co-op, since the vast majority of player feedback for Below Zero requested the feature to make playing with friends easier. So even if crossplay isn’t available on day one, it’s almost guaranteed to be added within the first few months post-launch, based on the studio’s past behavior.
Which Platforms Will Support Crossplay for Subnautica 2?
Unknown Worlds has already confirmed that Subnautica 2 will launch for PC (via Steam and Epic Games Store), PS5, and Xbox Series X/S first. A Nintendo Switch version is in early development, but the team has noted that it will likely come 6 to 12 months after the initial launch, if it gets released at all, due to hardware limitations with the new game’s upgraded graphics engine. PC and current-gen console players will be the first to get cross-platform access when the game launches, per the latest roadmap updates.
Last-gen consoles, including PS4 and Xbox One, will not get a version of Subnautica 2 at all, the devs confirmed last year. The game is built exclusively for current-gen hardware to support larger map sizes, more detailed underwater environments, and up to 4-player co-op lobbies without performance drops. That means if you or your friends still play on PS4 or Xbox One, you’ll need to upgrade to a current-gen console or PC to play the new game together, regardless of crossplay support.
Extra Cross-Platform Features You Can Expect (If Confirmed)
Crossplay is just one part of the cross-platform ecosystem most players look for these days. Based on fan requests and the features added to Below Zero post-launch, we can expect a full suite of cross-platform features if crossplay is officially confirmed for Subnautica 2:
- Cross-save progression that lets you pick up your save file on any platform you own the game on, no restart required if you switch from PC to console halfway through your playthrough
- Cross-party invites that let you add friends from other platforms directly through your in-game friends list, no need to exchange external usernames or third-party app info
- Shared server support for public and private co-op lobbies, regardless of what platform players are joining from, so you can host a lobby for 3 friends all on different devices
- Cross-platform leaderboards for speedrunners and players who want to compete for rare achievement bragging rights across the entire Subnautica player base
Cross-save support is even more requested than crossplay by many casual players, who often switch between PC and console for different play sessions. For example, you might play on your PC for solo exploration after work, then jump on your Xbox to play co-op with friends on the weekend, without losing any of your progress or scanned creature entries. The devs have noted that cross-save is being developed alongside crossplay, so both features will likely launch at the same time if they’re confirmed.
What to Do if You Want to Guarantee Cross-Platform Access At Launch
Since crossplay isn’t 100% confirmed yet, there are a few simple steps you can take to make sure you don’t get stuck unable to play with friends when the game launches. First, follow the official Subnautica Twitter and Discord accounts for real-time updates, since the devs share new feature announcements there first before posting them anywhere else. Second, if you’re planning to pre-order the game, wait until crossplay is explicitly listed as a feature on the official store page for your platform of choice. Never pre-order a game for crossplay support unless the feature is explicitly listed on the official store page, since pre-order purchases are almost always non-refundable even if features get cut before launch.
If you have friends that play on multiple different platforms, consider buying the PC version first if you have a gaming PC that can run the game. PC versions of Unknown Worlds titles always get new features first, including crossplay, and they’re far less likely to have platform-specific restrictions that block crossplay with other devices. If you already own the original Subnautica on Steam, you may get a discount on the sequel at launch, per past Unknown Worlds promotion patterns for their existing player base. You can also join the official Subnautica playtesting program if you want to test crossplay features early and give feedback directly to the dev team before the full launch.
At the end of the day, all official signs point to a yes when asking is subnautica 2 gonna be cross platform, even if we don’t have a final, 100% confirmation from the dev team yet. The team’s track record of adding crossplay to past titles, plus the public roadmap listing it as a core priority, means you can feel fairly confident you’ll be able to team up with friends no matter what platform they use. We’ll update this post as soon as new official details drop, so you don’t have to dig through random forum posts to get the latest updates. For now, you can start brainstorming your perfect seabase design, or plan a co-op playthrough with your friend group across all your different devices.
