Subnautica 2 launches in Xbox Game Preview on May 14, day one on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass, and ahead of release, Unknown Worlds is detailing how it’s been building the underwater survival sequel with the Xbox ecosystem in mind. In a new Xbox Wire post, members of the development team walked through the optimization work that’s gone into the game for Xbox Series X|S, the Xbox controller, and the ROG Xbox Ally specifically.
The team focused its performance optimization work on Xbox specifically, with Core Tech Lead Snorri Sturluson noting that the fixed nature of the platform made it the natural target for that work. Sturluson described the Xbox controller as “one of the primary input methods” the team designed around. Senior QA Analyst Rob Hamiter confirmed the game will ship with a default ROG Xbox Ally graphics preset that players can tweak further, and praised the handheld’s analog controls and intuitive button mapping.
Multiplayer is the headline addition for the sequel, marking the first time co-op has come to the Subnautica series. Up to three players can join a host, and Unknown Worlds confirmed cross-platform play between Xbox and PC works through both the Xbox friends list and the in-game menu.
Subnautica 2 enters Early Access on May 14, 2026 for $29.99 on PC and Xbox Series X|S, with no PlayStation 5 release currently confirmed. The Early Access window is expected to last two to three years. It’s one of the games we’re watching this month, alongside Forza Horizon 6 and 007 First Light.
