As Subnautica 2 gears up for its 2026 early access release, developer Unknown Worlds has decided to drop versions of the earlier games for the Switch 2 in an effort to spread the joy of exploring underwater alien planets and fighting for your life.
Subnautica and Subnautica: Below Zero are slated for a February 17 release on the platform, but the developers haven’t been content with a mere port. Instead, they’ve opted for graphical and gameplay optimizations to deliver a more immersive experience. For starters, they’re both going to hit 1440p when docked and 1080p in handheld mode, while running at a buttery smooth 60 FPS across the board.
Those improvements could work very well with optimizations for the Joy-Con 2 that aim for “precise movement, smooth exploration, and refined interaction”, all of which are great news for a gameplay loop that requires all three for your success.
In a press release, producer Michael Verrette gave a nod to the game’s community of players, acknowledging their role in its success and as the key motivator for bringing the first two games to the Switch 2. “Bringing Subnautica and Subnautica: Below Zero to Nintendo Switch 2 is about welcoming new players into that community, while giving longtime fans a chance to experience these worlds again in a way that feels fresh, smooth, and more immersive.”
Owners of the Switch versions can upgrade their copies for free via an Upgrade Pack. The announcement comes hot on the heels of a Dev Diary that showed off Subnautica 2’s multiplayer features ahead of its release.