About Subnautica
Subnautica was released on January 23, 2018. Steam files it under Adventure and Indie. It needs 20 GB of free storage.
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Subnautica system requirements
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Subnautica needs at least Intel HD 4600 or equivalent - This includes most GPUs scoring greater than 950 points in the 3DMark Fire Strike benchmark and Intel Haswell 2 cores / 4 threads @ 2.5Ghz or equivalent, 4 GB of RAM and 20 GB of free storage. For 60 fps on High at 1080p, aim for a GeForce GT 730 or better.
Updated October 3, 2026
What it takes to run Subnautica
| Target | Graphics card | Processor | Memory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | Intel HD 4600 or equivalent - This includes most GPUs scoring greater than 950 points in the 3DMark Fire Strike benchmark | Intel Haswell 2 cores / 4 threads @ 2.5Ghz or equivalent | 4 GB |
| Recommended | Nvidia GTX 550 Ti or equivalent, 2GB VRAM | Intel Haswell 4 cores / 4 threads @ 3.2Ghz or equivalent | 8 GB |
| 60 fps, 1080p High | GeForce GT 730 or better | Ryzen 3 2200 or better | 16 GB |
| 60 fps, 1440p High | GeForce GTX 645 or better | Ryzen 3 2200 or better | 16 GB |
| 60 fps, 4K High | Radeon R9 270 or better | Ryzen 3 2200 or better | 16 GB |
The first two rows are the publisher's numbers. The rows below are our own estimates from the scoring model.
How to get the best frame rate in Subnautica
The publisher's minimum for Subnautica is Intel HD 4600 or equivalent - This includes most GPUs scoring greater than 950 points in the 3DMark Fire Strike benchmark with Intel Haswell 2 cores / 4 threads @ 2.5Ghz or equivalent, and the recommended hardware is Nvidia GTX 550 Ti or equivalent, 2GB VRAM. We treat the recommended hardware as the setup that holds about 60 fps at 1080p on High.
In our estimates a GeForce GT 730 is about the weakest card that holds 60 fps on High at 1080p, a GeForce GTX 645 does the same at 1440p, and a Radeon R9 270 at 4K. Cards below that can still play the game, at Medium or Low.
Open world and story games are limited by the graphics card in busy areas and by video memory in new locations. If you see stutter when you enter a new area, lower the texture setting a step. Turn on upscaling if the game offers it.
Best graphics card for Subnautica
Estimated fps at 1080p on High by graphics card, and the best 60 fps preset at each resolution.
90+ great60+ smooth40+ playable30+ low settingsbelow 30
| Graphics card | 1080p | 1440p | 4K |
|---|---|---|---|
| GeForce RTX 5090 | Ultra 300+ fps | Ultra 300+ fps | Ultra 300+ fps |
| GeForce RTX 5070 | Ultra 300+ fps | Ultra 300+ fps | Ultra 300+ fps |
| GeForce RTX 4090 | Ultra 300+ fps | Ultra 300+ fps | Ultra 300+ fps |
| GeForce RTX 4070 Super | Ultra 300+ fps | Ultra 300+ fps | Ultra 300+ fps |
| GeForce RTX 4060 | Ultra 300+ fps | Ultra 300+ fps | Ultra 291 fps |
| GeForce RTX 3080 | Ultra 300+ fps | Ultra 300+ fps | Ultra 300+ fps |
| GeForce RTX 3060 | Ultra 300+ fps | Ultra 300+ fps | Ultra 238 fps |
| GeForce RTX 3050 | Ultra 300+ fps | Ultra 300+ fps | Ultra 175 fps |
| GeForce RTX 2060 | Ultra 300+ fps | Ultra 300+ fps | Ultra 184 fps |
| GeForce GTX 1660 Super | Ultra 300+ fps | Ultra 247 fps | Ultra 137 fps |
| GeForce GTX 1650 | Ultra 222 fps | Ultra 160 fps | Ultra 89 fps |
| GeForce GTX 1060 6GB | Ultra 259 fps | Ultra 186 fps | Ultra 104 fps |
| Radeon RX 9070 XT | Ultra 300+ fps | Ultra 300+ fps | Ultra 300+ fps |
| Radeon RX 7800 XT | Ultra 300+ fps | Ultra 300+ fps | Ultra 300+ fps |
| Radeon RX 6600 | Ultra 300+ fps | Ultra 300+ fps | Ultra 220 fps |
| Radeon RX 580 | Ultra 246 fps | Ultra 177 fps | Ultra 99 fps |
| Arc B580 | Ultra 300+ fps | Ultra 300+ fps | Ultra 300+ fps |
The highest quality preset that still holds 60 fps. Estimates with a processor that does not limit the card.
Memory and processor
Memory
Minimum 4 GB, recommended 8 GB. 16 GB is the comfortable amount for current games.
Processor
A processor like the Ryzen 3 2200 meets the recommended CPU level. For many fps in fast games, a quick CPU matters as much as the graphics card. Check your pairing.
Questions about Subnautica
What are the minimum system requirements for Subnautica?
Minimum: Intel Haswell 2 cores / 4 threads @ 2.5Ghz or equivalent, Intel HD 4600 or equivalent - This includes most GPUs scoring greater than 950 points in the 3DMark Fire Strike benchmark, 4 GB of memory, 20 GB of free storage.
What are the recommended system requirements for Subnautica?
Recommended: Intel Haswell 4 cores / 4 threads @ 3.2Ghz or equivalent, Nvidia GTX 550 Ti or equivalent, 2GB VRAM, 8 GB of memory.
What graphics card do I need to run Subnautica at 60 fps?
In our estimate a GeForce GT 730 is about the weakest card that holds 60 fps on High at 1080p, and a GeForce GTX 645 for 1440p.
How much RAM does Subnautica need?
The minimum is 4 GB and the recommendation is 8 GB. With less than the minimum the game may not start or will stutter badly.
How much storage does Subnautica need?
About 20 GB of free space, plus room for updates.
Can an RTX 3060 run Subnautica?
Our estimate for the GeForce RTX 3060 is about 300+ fps on High at 1080p. Verdict: Yes, runs great.
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Requirements from the game's Steam page. Powered by Steam. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Valve or the publisher.