Subnautica is a survival game with RPG elements. A spaceship has crashed on an unknown planet that is completely covered by water. Since the protagonist is the only one who survived in the escape pod, they will have to survive alone.
HYPERPC for Subnautica – May 2025
To achieve high and stable frame rates in Subnautica, you’ll need a high-performance gaming PC or laptop. HYPERPC computers are designed to meet the demands of even the most resource-intensive games. Our PCs ensure smooth gameplay and stable performance in Subnautica!
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Story
Yes, there is a story—and it’s not just for show. A crash, the search for other survivors, encounters with ancient artifacts—all of it unfolds during gameplay. You get information from holographic logs and PDAs left behind by crew members of the destroyed ship. The protagonist slowly uncovers what this place is and what happened to the others.
Game Features
Although there are many great sandbox survival games, Subnautica holds a special place among them. Its key differences can be summarized as:
- A real storyline;
- No hardcore mechanics;
- Developers deliberately avoid adding multiplayer;
- Limited base building capabilities.
Difficulty
Most sandbox survival games emphasize resource gathering and the constant threat of death. A popular feature recently is the “permadeath” mode, where the game ends after the first death.
If you forget to refill your oxygen or eat, the protagonist will die. But death is not final—your character respawns in the escape pod, and only the inventory reverts to what it was when you last exited. You can die as many times as you want, but you’ll lose the items collected during your last trip.
Multiplayer
There is no official multiplayer mode. You’ll have to explore the world solo. A fan-made mod does allow two players on one map, but it's a limited and unofficial experience.
Sandbox
Since underwater construction differs greatly from building on land, there are many limitations. There are plenty of decorative items, but building a fully unique base is difficult. Bases are made from cylindrical compartments where you can install systems and modules—for example, a power generator or water purifier.
Gameplay
The developers themselves didn’t know what the project would eventually become. It started as a low-budget game from a tiny indie studio. Initially, it was intended to be a serious simulator focused on designing and managing submarines, but in the end, we got something very different. And it’s fair to say the developers didn’t lose out—exploring the diverse underwater world is incredibly engaging.
The pace of exploration is controlled by how far you progress in the game. There are five modes of movement available to you:
- swimming without any equipment;
- using a Seaglide;
- riding the small submarine “Seamoth”;
- piloting the large submarine “Cyclops”;
- walking on the ocean floor in the “Prawn Suit.”
Each vehicle has its own depth limit. To dive deeper, you’ll need rare materials. The game is designed so that you must thoroughly explore the upper biomes to gather the resources needed for upgrades. Then, you move deeper and repeat the cycle. There are shortcuts, and progression is nonlinear, which keeps the experience exciting.
Searching for resources is never boring—the underwater world is surprisingly diverse. It’s no coincidence that Steam nominated the game for the 2018 Best Environment award. During your first encounters, there’s always the fear that some massive creature might eat you. But not all deep-sea dwellers are equally aggressive.
Combat System
Another unique aspect of Subnautica is the lack of a traditional combat system. All weapons are designed for defense, not offense. You can’t loot defeated creatures either. The developers clearly encourage you to be an explorer, not a conqueror.
Graphics
Subnautica doesn’t feature cutting-edge graphics like major AAA titles. Yes, it’s beautifully crafted, but that’s mostly thanks to the work of talented designers and artists. If you look closely, you’ll notice the graphics are a bit dated—but that doesn’t ruin the experience. The visual effects are impressive, the water is well-rendered, and elements like smoke and bubbles are nicely executed.
Subnautica System Requirements
You don’t need a very high-performance computer to play Subnautica. As mentioned above, the graphics are slightly outdated, although the developers have improved some effects. Low-resolution textures remain one of the game’s weak spots. These may be addressed in future patches, but development is slow, so updates are infrequent.
Performance requirements can be divided into two categories: monitors and VR headsets. You don’t need a powerful PC for regular monitor gaming, but if you want to fully immerse yourself in the underwater world through virtual reality, you’ll need a strong graphics card.
| Minimum System Requirements | |
|---|---|
| Operating System | Windows 7/8.1/10 |
| Processor | Intel Core i3-4130 |
| Graphics Card | Intel HD 4600 |
| RAM | 4 GB |
| Disk Space | 20 GB |
A PC with this configuration is barely above calculator level. It’s playable, but expect pain and suffering with unstable 30 FPS at HD resolution.
| Recommended System Requirements | |
|---|---|
| Operating System | Windows 7/8.1/10 |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-4460 |
| Graphics Card | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti |
| RAM | 8 GB |
| Disk Space | 20 GB |
These requirements, like the previous ones, are taken from the Steam page, though their relevance is debatable. Still, the developers claim that the game should run at Full HD with medium-high settings on this setup.
| Maximum System Requirements for 4K | |
|---|---|
| Operating System | Windows 10/11 |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D |
| Graphics Card | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 |
| RAM | 32 GB |
| Disk Space | 20 GB on SSD |
This configuration is for gamers who accept no compromises.
VR
Virtual reality headsets place a much heavier load on your computer. Requirements vary depending on the headset. Below are the specs for the first-generation HTC VIVE with 1080x1200 resolution per eye. If you plan to use the HTC VIVE Pro or other headsets with 2880x1600 per lens, you’ll need a setup with two high-end RTX 2080 GPUs or better. You’ll also need a processor like the i7-9700K or equivalent. One RTX 2080 might be enough, but the game’s low optimization may prevent you from reaching the full 90 FPS supported by the HTC VIVE Pro. With dual GPUs, you’ll have enough power to fully immerse yourself in this beautiful world.
| Minimum VR System Requirements | |
|---|---|
| Operating System | Windows 7/8.1/10 |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-9600K |
| Graphics Card | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 |
| RAM | 16 GB |
| Disk Space | 20 GB |
| Recommended VR System Requirements | |
|---|---|
| Operating System | Windows 7/8.1/10 |
| Processor | Intel Core i7-9700K |
| Graphics Card | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 |
| RAM | 16 GB |
| Disk Space | 20 GB |
How to Choose a PC for Subnautica?
The system requirements make things clear: first, decide how you want to play. In any case, building a modern gaming PC should start with a high-performance processor—it never hurts to have more power.
The graphics card is also crucial for a gaming setup. Choose one based on your monitor’s resolution. Specifically for Subnautica, the minimum recommended for FullHD is a GTX 1060.
The biggest issue with the game is poor optimization. That’s why you should opt for more powerful hardware to avoid FPS drops in intense scenes. This problem mostly affects the GPU.
Choosing a Graphics Card
The game runs with stable high FPS at any resolution with any of the latest series NVIDIA GeForce RTX cards.
How Much Video Memory Do You Need?
The game doesn’t consume much VRAM. Here’s the approximate memory usage at max settings for various resolutions:
- UltraHD Ultra (4K) – 5 GB;
- QuadHD Ultra (1440p) – 4.2 GB;
- FullHD Ultra – 3.5 GB;
- FullHD Medium – 2 GB;
- HD Minimum – 1 GB.
Processor
You don’t need an extremely powerful CPU to run the game well. However, if you're building a new gaming PC, the minimum should be an Intel Core i5-9600K. This processor is an optimal choice for playing Subnautica at FullHD and 1440p. It can also handle 4K, but for such a setup, a stronger CPU like the Intel Core i7-9700K is recommended.
It’s also a good idea to leave some headroom for streaming, which demands more performance. Video recording is less demanding, but editing captured footage is much faster with a powerful CPU.
RAM
The game engine is designed so that RAM usage doesn’t scale with resolution. The standard RAM usage is around 4.5 GB—even at 4K with max settings.
However, a modern gaming PC should have a larger memory reserve. That figure only reflects the game’s usage. The system and background apps (messengers, browsers—especially Google Chrome) also consume memory. Many players prefer to listen to music while playing, and a single browser tab can eat up 800 MB of RAM.
The minimum recommended RAM is 8 GB. 16 GB is ideal for future-proofing. If the game runs out of RAM, it will use the swap file on your drive, which wears down storage—especially SSDs—quickly.
Storage
A good choice for a gaming PC is a combination of a fast SSD and a spacious HDD. Install your OS, games, and software on the SSD, and use the HDD for file storage. This setup significantly boosts performance.
For a premium gaming PC, an M.2 SSD is a great option. These drives connect directly to the motherboard or via a PCI adapter. Top-tier drives from Samsung and Kingston offer read speeds up to 3.5 GB/s and write speeds up to 3.2 GB/s. In comparison, standard SATA drives are limited to 550 MB/s.
A more advanced setup uses two SSDs—one for the system and software, and the other for games. This can further improve overall speed. It's especially useful if you're using budget SATA SSDs. If you're using high-end M.2 models, having two of them is likely unnecessary.
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