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Android
iOS
Mac
Switch
Switch 2
PC
PS4
PS5
Xbox One
Xbox X|SWe've documented 17 accessibility features for Subnautica, including Fully Voiced (Or No Speech), Select Difficulty, No Holds, Remap Buttons and Visual Cues. Its accessibility is strongest in Controls and Reading but it also has features in Visual, Audio and Difficulty to reduce unintended barriers.
This report is created with input from accessibility experts and the player community to help people find games that have the accessibility features they require. Once you have found potential games on the database, there are excellent specialist accessibility sites that offer in-depth reviews to guide your purchasing decisions.
Our accessibility examiner, Andy Robertson, first checked Subnautica accessibility 9 months ago.
Accessibility Notes
Game Details
Release Date: 11/04/2016, updated in 2021
Out Now: Mac, PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One and Xbox X|S
Skill Rating: 10+ year-olds
Players: 1
Genres: Adventure, Traversal (Action, Collecting, Creative, Role-Play, Simulation, Stealth and Strategy)
Accessibility: 17 features
Components: 3D First-Person, Day and Night and Open World
Developer: Unknown Worlds (@UnknownWorlds)
Costs: Purchase cost
Controls
We've documented 9 accessibility features for Controls in Subnautica which deal with how you control the game, different options for alternative inputs and whether you can remap these settings to suit your needs.
Gamepad
Can play with the following:
Multiple Buttons & Two Sticks: Can play with multiple buttons and two sticks.
Mouse And Keyboard
Can play with the following:
Mouse and Keys: Can play with mouse and multiple keys.
Remap Controls
Can customise the controls for the game as follows:
Remap Buttons: Can re-map all buttons so that you can use alternatives that better suit your play.
Remap Sticks: Can remap the stick controls to controller buttons for easier access of direction controls.
Remap Mouse and Keyboard: Can remap mouse and keyboard key bindings, on systems that support these controls.
Remap One Action to Multiple Buttons: Can remap multiple buttons to perform the same action to reduce the need to memorise buttons and make the action easier to access.
Invert X/Y Axis: Can invert the direction required to control looking and aiming. This enables you to match your instinctive orientation when looking.
Button Combinations
Specific button operation required to play
Holding Down Buttons Optional: Holding down buttons for prolonged periods (a second or more) is not required or can be switched to toggling the action on and off. This is in addition to the movement stick/button which is not considered a hold for this purpose.
Sensitivity
You can adjust
Adjust Mouse/Stick/Touch Sensitivity: Adjust how sensitive touch/mouse/stick controls are.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Controls
If you want to play Subnautica, but it doesn't offer the Controls accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Controls accessibility:
- Sail Forth (16 Controls Features)
- Pacific Drive (13 Controls Features)
- Craftopia (11 Controls Features)
- Of Salt & Solace (10 Controls Features)
Difficulty
We've documented 1 accessibility feature for Difficulty in Subnautica which deals with how you can adjust the challenge of play, and whether this is locked once chosen or can be adjusted as you play.
Difficulty Options
Select Difficulty: Select the level of difficulty from a range of presets. This not only offers a way to adjust the challenge of a game but enables you to do so without dealing with individual criteria.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Difficulty
If you want to play Subnautica, but it doesn't offer the Difficulty accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Difficulty accessibility:
- Wildmender (3 Difficulty Features)
- Craftopia (2 Difficulty Features)
- Dredge (2 Difficulty Features)
- Pacific Drive (2 Difficulty Features)
Getting Started
We haven’t documented any accessibility features for Getting Started in Subnautica which deal with what support is offered to get started with the game. This includes customising the experience when you first open the game via any onboarding processes it provides as well as tutorials and other assistance when you first start playing. The following games are similar to Subnautica, and offer accessibility features for Getting Started:
- Lego Bricktales (8 Getting Started Features)
- Dredge (6 Getting Started Features)
- Sail Forth (6 Getting Started Features)
- Pacific Drive (6 Getting Started Features)
Reading
We've documented 3 accessibility features for Reading in Subnautica which deal with how much reading or listening comprehension is required, how well the game provides visual and audible access to the text and whether subtitles and captions are a good fit for purpose.
Reading Level
How much reading is required to play the game's main path or story and how complex the language is. The presence of voiced characters doesn't reduce this requirement, as it's recorded as a separate datapoint.
Moderate Reading: Moderate reading required. The quantity and complexity of reading are at a level that a high school student (14-year-old) would appreciate.
Subtitles
Some Speech Subtitled: Some spoken content has subtitles. This reduces the pressure on interpreting all the spoken content, although not everything is captured textually.
Voice Acted
All Dialogue is Voice Acted (Or No Speech In Game): All of the game dialogue and narrative can be voiced, or there is no speech in the game. This means there is no requirement to read the dialogue and narrative text to play the game.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Reading
If you want to play Subnautica, but it doesn't offer the Reading accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Reading accessibility:
- Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach (7 Reading Features)
- New Pokémon Snap (6 Reading Features)
- Valley Peaks (5 Reading Features)
- Wildmender (5 Reading Features)
Navigation
We haven’t documented any accessibility features for Navigation in Subnautica which deal with how the game provides guidance and assistance to navigate its worlds. These are only for games that have traversal and exploration in 2D and 3D spaces. The following games are similar to Subnautica, and offer accessibility features for Navigation:
- Wildmender (8 Navigation Features)
- Of Salt & Solace (7 Navigation Features)
- Pacific Drive (7 Navigation Features)
- Sail Forth (6 Navigation Features)
Visual
We've documented 2 accessibility features for Visual in Subnautica which deal with how you can adjust the visuals to suit your needs, and offer additional information if you can't hear the game.
Audio Cues for Visual Events
Audio Cues for Visual Events: Audio is provided to indicate visual events. Game events or progress highlighted by visual icons, effects or animations are also accompanied by audio to signify that progress. This is useful for blind players.
Audio Depiction of Event Location: Indication with positional/stereo audio of where directional events are on the screen for things like damage, footsteps, environmental elements. This is useful for blind players.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Visual
If you want to play Subnautica, but it doesn't offer the Visual accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Visual accessibility:
- Rescue: Under Pressure (10 Visual Features)
- Pacific Drive (9 Visual Features)
- Clawfish (7 Visual Features)
- Moonglow Bay (7 Visual Features)
Audio
We've documented 2 accessibility features for Audio in Subnautica which deal with how you can adjust the audio of the game and whether audio cues compensate for aspects of the game that are hard to see.
Adjustable Audio
Balance Audio Levels: Set music and game sound effects separately. This enables you to select your preference as well as ensure critical game sounds aren't obscured by other audio.
Audio Events
Visual Cues for Audio Events: Text or other visual indicators of audio events. This mirrors audio indicators of progress in the game with a corresponding visual indication.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Audio
If you want to play Subnautica, but it doesn't offer the Audio accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Audio accessibility:
- Skyblock (4 Audio Features)
- Moonglow Bay (3 Audio Features)
System Accessibility Settings
In addition to the accessibility features provided in the game, you can also use system-wide accessibility settings:
Nintendo Switch
Nintendo Switch has some built-in features, including a lockable zoom, that can be used on all games.
PC
Windows has extensive accessibility features. Some, like colour correction, work with games. Lots of accessibility software can be used with PC games, from voice recognition to input device emulators.
PlayStation 4
PlayStation 4 has a range of accessibility settings. Some are system only, some work in games (invert colours and button mapping).
PlayStation 5
PlayStation 5 has a range of system-wide accessibility settings.
Xbox One
Xbox One has a system features, the excellent co-pilot share controls mode and adaptive controller support for all games.
Xbox Series X|S
Xbox One has a system features, the excellent co-pilot share controls mode and adaptive controller support for all games.
Read more about system accessibility settings.
Accessibility Report supported by VSC Rating Board, PlayabilityInitiative and accessibility contributors Andy Robertson
