Subnautica 2 Early Access PC Requirements & Settings
Subnautica 2 (tentatively titled Subnautica 2, developed by Unknown Worlds) enters Early Access with a set of PC system requirements that are surprisingly modest for a game with its ambitious underwater world. To run it smoothly at 1080p/60fps on medium settings, you’ll need at minimum a GTX 1660 Super or RX 5600 XT, a Ryzen 5 3600 or Core i5-10400, and 16GB of RAM. This article breaks down the official Early Access requirements, explains how the game scales across hardware, and gives you concrete settings to hit stable frame rates on low, mid, and high-end PCs.
Official Early Access System Requirements
Unknown Worlds published the Early Access PC requirements when the game was announced. These are the minimum and recommended specs as of the Early Access launch window (note that these may change as development continues):
- Minimum (30fps at 1080p, low settings): Intel Core i5-8400 / AMD Ryzen 5 2600, 12GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB / AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB, DirectX 12, 20GB SSD storage.
- Recommended (60fps at 1080p, high settings): Intel Core i7-9700K / AMD Ryzen 5 3600, 16GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Super / AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT, DirectX 12, 20GB NVMe SSD.
These are for Early Access builds; the final release may have different requirements. Also, note that the game is built on Unreal Engine 5, which means it uses features like Nanite and Lumen (though the developers have said they’ve optimized them for underwater scenes).
How the Game Scales: CPU, GPU, and RAM
Subnautica 2 is a large open-world survival game with a streaming world, so both CPU and GPU matter. The CPU handles the game’s physics, creature AI, and world streaming; a weak processor can cause stutters when new biomes load. The GPU is responsible for the water rendering, volumetric lighting, and post-processing effects. RAM is also critical: the game can use more than 12GB on high settings, especially with many creatures on screen. If you have 8GB, you’ll likely experience stuttering and long load times.
Best Settings for 60fps on Low, Mid, and High-End PCs
Based on the official requirements and typical Unreal Engine 5 performance, here are recommended settings for three hardware tiers. (These are starting points; adjust based on your exact hardware.)
Low-End (GTX 1060 / RX 580, 12GB RAM)
- Resolution: 1080p
- Preset: Low
- View Distance: Medium (helps CPU)
- Textures: Low (to fit VRAM)
- Shadows: Low
- Water Quality: Low (reduces GPU load)
- Post-Processing: Low
- Anti-Aliasing: TAA (or off if you prefer)
- Upscaling: DLSS/FSR Quality (if available)
This should get you 30-50fps. If you need more, lower resolution scale to 80%.
Mid-Range (GTX 1660 Super / RX 5600 XT, 16GB RAM)
- Resolution: 1080p
- Preset: High
- View Distance: High
- Textures: High
- Shadows: Medium
- Water Quality: High
- Post-Processing: Medium
- Anti-Aliasing: TAA
- Upscaling: DLSS/FSR Quality (if available)
This should hit 60fps in most areas. If you get dips, set Water Quality to Medium.
High-End (RTX 3070 / RX 6800 or better, 16GB+ RAM)
- Resolution: 1440p or 4K
- Preset: Ultra
- View Distance: Ultra
- Textures: Ultra
- Shadows: Ultra
- Water Quality: Ultra
- Post-Processing: High
- Anti-Aliasing: TAA
- Upscaling: DLSS/FSR Balanced or Quality
You can expect 60fps at 1440p, or 4K with DLSS Performance.
Common Performance Problems and Fixes
Players often report stutters when new areas load, which is typical for streaming games. Here are fixes:
- Stutter when swimming fast: Increase View Distance (yes, higher can help because it pre-loads more) and install the game on an NVMe SSD.
- Low FPS in dense kelp forests: Lower Water Quality and Shadows; these areas are heavy on transparency effects.
- VRAM overflow: If you have a 6GB GPU, set Textures to High (not Ultra) to avoid texture pop-in.
- Memory leaks (Early Access): Restart the game after long sessions; this is a known issue in EA.
Upscaling: DLSS, FSR, and Frame Generation
Subnautica 2 supports NVIDIA DLSS and AMD FSR (and likely Intel XeSS). These are crucial for higher resolutions. On a GTX 1060, you can use FSR (since DLSS is not supported on that card). For 60fps, use Quality mode at 1080p. If you have an RTX 40-series or RX 7000-series, you can enable Frame Generation to double frame rates, but be aware it can introduce input lag and visual artifacts in fast-moving scenes. For a survival game, it’s generally safe to use.
Laptop Considerations
If you’re on a gaming laptop, remember that the GPU is often less powerful than its desktop counterpart. A laptop RTX 3060 is roughly equivalent to a desktop GTX 1660 Super. Also, ensure you’re plugged in and set the power plan to High Performance. Laptops with Optimus may need to force the discrete GPU in the NVIDIA Control Panel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will Subnautica 2 run on my integrated graphics?
No, it will not run well. The minimum requirement is a GTX 1060 or RX 580. Integrated graphics like Intel UHD or AMD Vega are not supported. You might get 15-20fps at 720p with everything on low, but it’s not playable.
Is 16GB RAM enough for Subnautica 2?
Yes, 16GB is the recommended amount. The game can use up to 14GB on high settings, so 16GB gives you headroom for background apps. If you have 12GB, you may need to close browsers and other programs.
Does Subnautica 2 have DLSS 3 Frame Generation?
Yes, the Early Access version supports DLSS 3 Frame Generation on RTX 40-series cards. It can significantly boost frame rates, but it may cause ghosting in water reflections. If you notice artifacts, disable it.
How many FPS can I expect with a GTX 1070?
A GTX 1070 is slightly faster than the minimum GTX 1060. At 1080p with a mix of low and medium settings, you can expect 40-60fps. Use FSR Quality to stabilize.
Will the system requirements change after Early Access?
Yes, they may increase as the developers add more content and optimize. Usually, Early Access requirements are lower than final ones, but sometimes they increase if new features are added. Check the official Steam page for updates.
Can I run Subnautica 2 on a Mac?
Currently, Subnautica 2 is only available on Windows PC (and later on consoles). There is no macOS version announced. You could use a virtual machine, but performance would be poor due to lack of GPU acceleration.
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