Subnautica 2 has entered early access on Steam. The game is playable on the Steam Deck, but it requires significant graphical compromises to maintain a stable frame rate.
Low settings and upscaling required for 30 FPS
According to SteamDeckHQ, the game runs at 30 FPS on the Steam Deck with all graphics settings set to low and TSR upscaling set to ultra performance. The upscaling introduces blurriness and shimmering, especially during nighttime scenes. Raising TSR to quality or the preset to medium still keeps 30 FPS but may be less stable. The developers plan to improve performance through progressive optimization during early access.
Subnautica 2 is available on Steam for 29.99 USD (about $29.99). The early access release occurred in May 2026.
The SteamDeckHQ author noted that while the game is playable, the visual sacrifices make it harder to enjoy in its current state. Minor frame rate drops may occur when swimming very fast, though this has not been quantified.
Source: SteamDeckHQ
