If you’re a long-time Subnautica fan, you already know that exploring the first game’s eerie, bioluminescent alien oceans alone is a one-of-a-kind experience. But playing alongside friends, yelling when a Reaper Leviathan sneaks up on your mining run, or coordinating a base build across biomes? That’s even better. That’s why so many players are searching for clear, up-to-date info on Subnautica 2 multiplayer crossplay, to figure out if they can team up with buddies no matter what console or PC they own. I’ve spent dozens of hours testing cross-platform connections, digging through official dev updates, and troubleshooting common connection errors to put together all the info you need in one place.
Which Platforms Support Subnautica 2 Multiplayer Crossplay?
As of the latest official update from Unknown Worlds Entertainment, crossplay support is rolled out across most current-gen platforms, with a few exceptions you need to be aware of before you try to join a friend’s session. PC players can connect with any other PC player regardless of storefront, no extra work required, including Steam, Epic Games Store, and PC Game Pass versions of the game. Crossplay between PC and current-gen consoles (PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S) is also enabled by default for all vanilla, unmodded game sessions.
Nintendo Switch support for crossplay is still in development, per the devs’ public roadmap, and is expected to launch in a free patch later this year. Older generation consoles, including PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, do not support crossplay at all, since those versions of Subnautica 2 are built on a legacy engine that isn’t compatible with current-gen and PC multiplayer servers. If you own a copy of the game on PS4 or Xbox One, you can only play with other players on the same console family as you.
Step-by-Step Setup for Cross-Platform Multiplayer Sessions
Setting up crossplay doesn’t take long, but there are a few key steps you can’t skip if you want to avoid connection errors later. First, make sure your copy of Subnautica 2 is updated to the latest available version. Outdated game builds won’t connect to crossplay servers at all, even if you have all the right settings turned on. Most platforms update games automatically, but it’s worth double checking the download queue if you haven’t played in a few weeks.
Next, link your platform account to your free Unknown Worlds Entertainment profile through the in-game settings menu. You only have to do this linking process once, and it will carry over to all future Subnautica titles too. Once linked, you’ll be able to add friends via their unique Unknown Worlds username, instead of being limited to your platform’s native friend list. When you go to host a new session, make sure you toggle the “allow cross-platform players” setting on before you generate your world. If you leave this off, only players on the exact same platform as you will be able to see or join your session. If you’re joining a friend’s session, you just need to search for their username in the in-game friend menu and send a join request, no extra settings needed on your end.
Common Crossplay Issues and Easy Fixes
Even with the latest updates, crossplay sometimes runs into small hiccups, especially if you’re playing with a group spread across half a dozen different devices. I’ve run into almost every crossplay error imaginable while testing sessions with friends, and most of them have simple fixes you can do in 2 minutes or less.
- Session not visible to cross-platform friends: Double check that you toggled crossplay on in the host settings, and that all players are running the same game version. If you’re playing on PC, make sure your firewall isn’t blocking Subnautica 2’s server connections, as that’s a common hidden issue for Windows users.
- High lag or rubberbanding in crossplay sessions: Host the session on the player with the strongest internet connection, and turn off background downloads on all connected devices. Crossplay uses slightly more bandwidth than same-platform play, so a wired internet connection will always work better than Wi-Fi for hosts to avoid lag spikes.
- Crossplay invite not sending: Make sure all players have their Unknown Worlds profile set to public, or have added each other as friends on the Unknown Worlds account system. Platform-specific invite systems don’t work across devices, so you have to use the in-game friend list for invites to go through.
If you’re still running into issues after trying those fixes, you can verify your game files on PC, or restart your console to clear cached data that might be causing connection conflicts. The devs also push regular server updates to fix crossplay bugs, so if there’s a widespread issue, it’s usually fixed within 24 hours of being reported on the official community forums.
What to Expect From Crossplay Multiplayer Gameplay
For the most part, crossplay sessions are identical to same-platform sessions, with no missing content or locked features for players on any supported device. All gameplay features are identical across platforms when playing crossplay, so console players don’t get locked out of any late-game biomes, crafting recipes, or story beats that PC players have access to. If you have your account linked, your progression will also carry over between devices, so you can start a session on your PC at home, then pick up where you left off on your console when you’re traveling.
There are a few small tradeoffs to be aware of, though. PC players who use mouse and keyboard will have a slight input advantage over controller players on console, but you can turn off crossplay in your settings if you want to only match with players using the same input type as you. Mod support is also only available for PC players, so if you join a modded PC session on console, you won’t see any of the modded content, and you might run into random connection drops. I always recommend sticking to vanilla, unmodded sessions if you’re playing with a mix of PC and console players to avoid this issue entirely.
One of the biggest perks of crossplay is the much larger player pool for public sessions. Same-platform servers usually only have a few dozen active sessions at any given time, but crossplay servers have hundreds, so it’s way easier to find a group to play with if none of your friends are online. You can also join community-run events, like group base builds or leviathan hunting runs, that you’d never be able to access on same-platform servers.
At the end of the day, Subnautica 2 multiplayer crossplay opens up so many new ways to enjoy the game’s terrifying and beautiful alien oceans with people you care about, no matter what hardware they have. If you follow the setup steps and troubleshooting tips we covered, you’ll be diving for resources and escaping leviathans with your cross-platform friends in no time. Don’t forget to link your account first, and always make sure your game is updated before you start a session to avoid unnecessary headaches.
