Subnautica and its sequel, Subnautica: Below Zero, will be getting PS5 upgrades this year. Unknown Worlds announced the news during Sony’s most recent State of Play, which provided a new look at Subnautica: Below Zero‘s gameplay. While the developer did not explicitly say when the upgrades would become available, it’s likely safe to assume they will be available on or around the launch of Below Zero on PS4 and PS5: May 14.
The upgrade paths for both Subnautica and Subnautica: Below Zero are free for those who already own the games, either physically or digitally.
Unknown Worlds also confirmed that Subnautica: Below Zero on PS5 will hit 4K in graphics mode and target 60FPS in performance mode. It will also make use of the special features of the DualSense controller, specifically its haptic feedback functionality.
While Unknown Worlds didn’t specify in the trailer or PlayStation Blog post outlining the upgrade paths and features for the original Subnautica, the developer told GamesRadar that “the first Subnautica‘s PS5 upgrade includes the same 60FPS ‘performance mode’ as Below Zero, but won’t come with DualSense support ‘just yet.'” (thanks, GamesRadar).
Subnautica is an underwater survival game that launched in Steam Early Access way back in 2014 before hitting 1.0 in early 2018. It launched later that year for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It was recently given away on PS4 as part of Sony’s Play at Home program, alongside several other indie titles.
Subnautica: Below Zero is a sequel set one year after the events of Subnautica, featuring a completely different protagonist. It puts a much greater emphasis on storytelling and improves on the core mechanics of the original game. It’s come a long way since I first took a look at it in 2019, with Unknown Worlds adding quite a bit to the base experience.
There are plenty of new tools and vehicles to craft and use in Below Zero while exploring new, chilling regions of Planet 4546B. The sequel also features new flora and fauna, such as the adorable Pengling, the mischievous Sea Monkey, and the terrifying Shadow Leviathan, and new takes on old favorites, such as the Arctic Peeper.
Still in Early Access on PC (Steam), Below Zero will officially launch into its 1.0 build for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch on May 14. The game can be purchased on Steam now for $29.99 and pre-purchased on all other platforms for the same price.
[Sources: PlayStation Blog, Unknown Worlds, GamesRadar]
