All recommendations below are based on benchmarks from multiple locations across the game world and cross-referenced against the current build’s GameUserSettings.ini and SharedGameSettings.sav files. Because Subnautica 2 is still in Early Access, some settings and their performance characteristics may change in future updates.
Before adjusting in-game settings, make sure Windows Game Mode is enabled, hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling is on, and your GPU drivers are up to date. These three things alone can noticeably improve performance before you touch a single in-game slider.
Video & Graphics Settings
The Graphics tab is the most impactful section for performance. It is split into two areas: Display options at the top and Graphics Quality below. A Hardware Benchmark button is available in the quality section to help identify a baseline preset for your system.
Display Settings
Upscaling
Upscaling is the single biggest FPS lever available. Enabling TSR or DLSS can effectively double your frame rate at the cost of some sharpness, with DLSS delivering significantly better image quality than TSR on Nvidia hardware. There is no AMD FSR option visible in the current build, which may be a bug or not yet implemented.
| Recommended | Explanation | |
|---|---|---|
| DLSS (Nvidia RTX only) | Quality (1080p) / Balanced (1440p, 4K) | ~8% boost at Quality, ~12% at Balanced. Nearly doubles FPS vs native rendering. |
| TSR (All GPUs) | Quality | Similar FPS gain to DLSS but slightly softer in motion. |
| DLAA / TSR Native | Only if you have FPS to spare | No FPS boost. Cleanest possible image. Use for the sharpest look at native res. |
| Frame Generation | On (RTX 40/50 series only) | ~40% FPS boost. Best when base FPS is already above 60. |
| Frame Generation Mode | On | Auto mode has caused stuttering in the current build. |
DLSS Performance is playable but noticeably blurry. Stick to Quality or Balanced for the best clarity-to-FPS trade.
Graphics Quality
The quality presets (Low / Medium / High / Epic) apply uniformly across all 12 individual quality settings. Running the Hardware Benchmark will suggest a starting preset based on your GPU. From there, use the table below to fine-tune. Several settings have little impact on FPS and can be left at High or Epic for free visual improvements.
| Recommended | Explanation | |
|---|---|---|
| Effects | High | Biggest FPS hitter in the game. Epic costs ~15 FPS (65 to 50) even in calm scenes. |
| Clouds | Medium | Up to 20 FPS gap above water between Low and Epic. Minimal impact underwater. |
| Shadows | Medium | Low looks noisy and flat. Epic costs ~3 FPS per step for a subtle gain. |
| View Distance | Medium | High and Epic tank FPS. Low causes pop-in. Medium is the balance. |
| Shading | High | Biggest visual jump is Low to Medium. Biggest FPS cost is Epic to High. |
| Global Illumination | Medium | Below Medium looks flat. No FPS difference between High and Epic. |
| Textures | Epic (6GB+) / High (4GB) / Medium (3GB) | Uses 8-9 GB VRAM at every setting. Free if you have enough headroom. |
| Foliage | High | ~1% per step. Near-zero FPS impact, so leave high for free visuals. |
| Landscape | High | ~2% per step. Essentially free. |
| Reflections | Low | Zero measured FPS difference between Low and Epic. Low stabilises FPS variance. |
| Post Processing | Low | No FPS cost difference. Epic adds dark vignette around screen edges. |
| Anti-Aliasing | Use DLSS Quality or TSR Quality | No standalone AA slider. Upscaling is the only meaningful AA source. |
Recommended Custom Settings (Quick Reference)
The table below is the one-shot copy of every recommended value from this guide. Apply these directly for the best balance of performance and visual quality on a mid-range or high-end system.
| Recommended | |
|---|---|
| Window Mode | Fullscreen |
| Resolution | Native |
| V-Sync | Off |
| Frame Rate Limit | Off |
| Motion Blur | Off |
| Underwater Blur | Off |
| Upscaling | DLSS Quality (Nvidia) or TSR Quality (other) |
| Frame Generation | On (RTX 40/50 only), Mode: On |
| Effects | High |
| Clouds | Medium |
| Shadows | Medium |
| View Distance | Medium |
| Shading | High |
| Global Illumination | Medium |
| Textures | Epic (6GB+ VRAM) / High (4GB) |
| Foliage | High |
| Landscape | High |
| Reflections | Low |
| Post Processing | Low |
With this configuration and DLSS Quality or TSR Quality enabled, most mid-range systems should comfortably hit 60-80 FPS without noticeably sacrificing image quality compared to the Epic preset.
Audio Settings
The Audio tab covers volume mixing, output routing, and audio quality. None of these affect FPS, so set them purely for comfort. The values below are the safe defaults to start with.
| Recommended | Explanation | |
|---|---|---|
| Master Volume | 80-100 | Overall mix level. Lower if other channels are already loud. |
| Music Volume | 50-70 | Music swells during creature encounters. Lower it so SFX cues cut through. |
| SFX / Effects Volume | 100 | Critical for hearing nearby creatures. Do not lower below the music volume. |
| Dialogue Volume | 100 | Voice logs and radio chatter carry story beats. Keep at full. |
| Ambient Volume | 70-90 | Underwater ambience helps with situational awareness. |
| Audio Quality | High | No measurable CPU cost on modern systems. Defaults to lowest until changed. |
| Headphone Mode | On (headphones), Off (speakers) | Enables a binaural mix designed for stereo headphones. |
| Audio Output Device | Default (system) | Override only if Windows routes audio to the wrong device. |
| Subtitles | On | Useful for missed radio dialogue and ambient story logs. |
Subnautica 2 ships with English, Spanish, and Korean voiceover. Other languages currently use text-only localisation, so dialogue plays in English with translated subtitles. Leave Subtitles On if you are playing in any language other than the three with full VO.
Controls & Keybinding Settings
The Controls tab handles mouse and controller sensitivity, axis inversion, and full key rebinding. Defaults are tuned for a 60 FPS feel, so most players will want to nudge sensitivity up after the game unlocks past 60.
| Recommended | Explanation | |
|---|---|---|
| Mouse Sensitivity X (Yaw) | Default, then tune | Start at default. Lower if turning feels twitchy at high FPS. |
| Mouse Sensitivity Y (Pitch) | Match X axis | Keeping X and Y equal avoids the sensation of swimming on a slope. |
| Invert Y Axis | Off | Personal preference. Turn on if you grew up on flight sims. |
| Controller Sensitivity X | Default | Defaults work well underwater. Bump up only for combat. |
| Controller Sensitivity Y | Default | Keep matched to X for consistent feel. |
| Key Rebinding | Move Sprint to Shift if needed | Every input can be rebound. Save changes before exiting the menu. |
The full default keybind layout will be added in a future update once the studio finalises any remaining changes during Early Access.
Accessibility Settings
Accessibility options live across the Graphics, Interface, and Audio tabs in the current build. The settings below are the ones most worth changing for comfort, motion sickness, or readability.
| Recommended | Explanation | |
|---|---|---|
| Camera Bobbing | Off | Reduces head sway during movement. Strongly recommended for motion sickness. |
| Motion Blur | Off | Improves clarity and reduces nausea. |
| Underwater Blur | Off | Removes depth-of-field haze that triggers motion sickness for many players. |
| Subtitles | On | Captures dialogue and radio chatter you might miss during action. |
| Interface Scale | 100% | Bump to 110-125% on 4K monitors if HUD text feels small. |
| Profanity Filter | Personal preference | Filters chat and player names in multiplayer sessions. |
| Gamma | 2.3 | Calibrate via the dedicated Gamma screen for dark cave visibility. |
Language & Interface Settings
The settings menu has a dedicated Interface tab confirmed in the current build, along with Language selection. The game ships with English, Spanish, and Korean voiceover, plus text localization for additional languages.
| Recommended | Explanation | |
|---|---|---|
| Voice Language | Match your text language | Only English, Spanish, and Korean ship with full voiceover at launch. |
| Text Language | Your native language | Text localisation covers more languages than VO. |
| Interface Scale | 100% | Bump to 110-125% on 4K displays if HUD text feels small. |
| HUD Visibility | Auto | Hides HUD elements that are not currently relevant for a cleaner view. |
