If you’re a fan of the original Subnautica’s eerie, sun-dappled alien oceans, you’ve probably wondered will Subnautica 2 have ray tracing to make those bioluminescent depths and shimmering surface waters feel even more immersive. The first game set a high bar for atmospheric survival, and fans have been waiting for years to see how Unknown Worlds Entertainment will leverage modern hardware for the sequel. We’ve pulled together every confirmed detail, credible leak, and developer comment to answer that question, plus break down what ray tracing would add to the Subnautica experience if it makes the final cut.
Will Subnautica 2 Have Ray Tracing? Official Developer Updates
Unknown Worlds Entertainment, the studio behind the entire Subnautica franchise, has been relatively tight-lipped about specific graphical features for the sequel so far, but they’ve dropped plenty of hints over the last two years. Back in 2023, the studio posted a job listing for a senior graphics programmer that explicitly listed experience with real-time ray tracing implementation as a desired qualification for the Subnautica 2 team. They’ve also mentioned multiple times in community Q&As that they’re building the game from the ground up for next-generation hardware, and that atmospheric immersion is their top priority for the sequel’s visuals.
There is no official confirmation of ray tracing for Subnautica 2 as of current developer updates, but all signs point to it being a high-priority feature for the team. It’s also worth noting that the studio released a next-gen update for Subnautica: Below Zero in 2022 that added improved lighting and texture quality, so they already have experience optimizing their engine for modern console and PC hardware. The only reason we might not see it at launch is if the team decides to prioritize performance across all platforms over cutting-edge graphical features, but that’s unlikely given their past design choices.
What Ray Tracing Would Add to Subnautica 2’s Gameplay
A lot of players write off ray tracing as a gimmick that only adds minor visual flair, but that’s not the case for a game like Subnautica. Think about how often you’re scanning your surroundings for threats, looking for resources hidden in dark caves, or navigating through murky water where visibility is limited. Ray traced lighting would make those moments feel far more realistic, and even give you small gameplay advantages that change how you interact with the world. Some of the biggest upgrades we’d expect to see include:
For example, the faint glow of a rare resource peeking out from behind a rock would be far easier to spot with dynamic ray traced lighting, compared to the flat pre-baked lighting of the first game. You’d also be able to see the shadow of a leviathan approaching before you hear its roar, giving you extra time to hide or grab your weapon before it attacks. Even casual players will notice a huge difference in immersion if ray tracing is included, since so much of Subnautica’s core appeal comes from its atmospheric, alien ocean setting.
Platforms That Will Support Ray Tracing for Subnautica 2
If ray tracing is added to Subnautica 2, support will be limited to next-generation platforms, as last-gen hardware doesn’t have the processing power to run the feature at playable framerates. PC players will almost certainly get the most robust set of ray tracing options, with sliders to adjust quality, resolution, and performance based on your individual setup. You’ll be able to turn off specific ray tracing features like shadows or reflections if you want to prioritize higher frame rates, or crank everything up for the most immersive experience possible if you have a high-end GPU.
On consoles, the PS5 and Xbox Series X will likely get two graphics modes: a quality mode with full ray tracing enabled running at 30fps, and a performance mode with ray tracing disabled or limited running at 60fps. The Xbox Series S may skip ray tracing support entirely, or get a heavily scaled back version of the feature, since its GPU is significantly less powerful than the other next-gen consoles. If you’re playing on PC, you’ll need a relatively modern GPU to run ray tracing at playable framerates, especially if you want to run it at 1440p or 4K resolution. If you’re planning to upgrade your setup ahead of launch, you can check out our curated list of the best ray tracing graphics cards for 2024 to find options that fit your budget and performance needs. Even mid-range cards released in the last three years will handle basic ray tracing settings for most modern games, so you don’t have to drop $1000 on a flagship GPU to enjoy the feature if it’s included.
If you’re playing on a last-gen console, like the PS4 or Xbox One, you won’t get ray tracing support at all, since those consoles don’t have the hardware to run the feature. Unknown Worlds hasn’t confirmed if Subnautica 2 will even launch on last-gen consoles, so if you’re still on older hardware, you may want to start planning an upgrade if you want to experience the game’s full graphical potential. You won’t need top-tier hardware to enjoy most of Subnautica 2’s graphical features, as the dev team is known for optimizing their games well for a wide range of setups. Even if you can’t run ray tracing, you’ll still get access to improved textures, better water rendering, and higher frame rates than the original game.
What to Do If Subnautica 2 Launches Without Ray Tracing
A lot of modern games launch with missing graphical features that get added in post-launch patches, so don’t panic if ray tracing isn’t listed in the launch day feature list. Unknown Worlds has a long track record of listening to community feedback, and if enough players ask for ray tracing support after launch, it’s very likely they’ll prioritize adding it in a future update. The studio has already promised years of post-launch content for Subnautica 2, so graphical upgrades will almost certainly be part of that roadmap.
For PC players, the active Subnautica modding community is another great fallback. Modders have created hundreds of graphical overhauls, shader packs, and quality of life mods for both the original Subnautica and Below Zero, so it’s almost guaranteed that a ray tracing shader mod will be released within weeks of the game’s launch, even if official support is missing. These modded ray tracing implementations won’t be as well optimized as official support, but they’ll still give you most of the same visual upgrades for little to no extra work. Always wait for official patch notes after launch to see if the dev team has announced ray tracing as part of their post-launch roadmap, before you go looking for third-party mods. Third-party mods can sometimes cause performance issues or conflicts with other game features, so official support is always the best option if it’s available.
Console players don’t have the modding option that PC players do, so you’ll have to wait for official updates if ray tracing is missing at launch. Console players should prioritize buying the PS5 or Xbox Series X version of the game if you want access to any future ray tracing updates, as the Series S is far less likely to get support for the feature later on due to its weaker GPU. If you only have a Series S, you’ll still get a great looking version of the game, but you probably won’t get ray tracing even if it’s added later.
At the end of the day, while we don’t have a 100% confirmed answer to will Subnautica 2 have ray tracing, all available evidence points to it being a very likely feature either at launch or shortly after. The dev team’s focus on immersion, their experience with modern graphics development, and the game’s targeted next-gen platforms all make ray tracing a perfect fit for the sequel’s underwater setting. Even if it’s not available on day one, you have plenty of options to get ray tracing working on PC, and console players can likely expect official support down the line. No matter what, Subnautica 2 is shaping up to be an incredible follow-up to one of the best survival games of all time, and we can’t wait to explore its alien oceans for ourselves when it launches.
