Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Want to play upcoming Subnautica 2 content early? In this tutorial, I'll show you exactly how to install and enable the Subnautica 2 Experimental Build on Steam, along with how to switch back to the normal Public Build whenever you want.
The Experimental branch gives you access to in-development versions of Subnautica 2 before that content is released to the main Early Access build.
Thankfully, switching versions on Steam is extremely easy.
To install the Subnautica 2 Experimental Build:
1. Open your Steam Library
2. Right-click Subnautica 2
3. Select Properties
4. Open the Game Versions & Betas tab
5. Find the Beta Participation dropdown
6. Change the game from the default Public Build to Experimental
Once Experimental is selected, close the Properties window.
Steam should automatically begin downloading and installing any additional files required for the Experimental version of Subnautica 2.
Once that finishes, launch the game normally through Steam and you'll now be running the Experimental Build.
I'll also show you how to switch Subnautica 2 back to the normal Public Build.
Simply return to:
Steam Library → Subnautica 2 → Properties → Game Versions & Betas
Then change Beta Participation from:
Experimental
back to:
Public / Default Build
Steam will once again automatically download whatever files are required to reinstall the correct version.
One IMPORTANT thing to know before switching:
⚠️ Experimental and Public saves are separate.
If you launch Experimental and don't see your normal Subnautica 2 saves, they have not necessarily been deleted. Experimental uses separate save data, and when you switch back to the Public Build your normal saves should appear again.
Experimental builds may also contain unfinished content, bugs, crashes, balance changes, and other issues that haven't reached the main Early Access release yet.
In this Subnautica 2 Steam tutorial I'll show you:
✅ How to install the Experimental Build
✅ Where to find Game Versions & Betas
✅ How to enable Beta Participation
✅ How to switch from Public to Experimental
✅ How Steam installs the Experimental files
✅ How to switch back to the Public Build
✅ What happens to your save files
✅ How to access upcoming Subnautica 2 content early
If you want to explore new Subnautica 2 features, map changes, biomes, creatures, and other content while it's still being developed, this is how you access the Experimental branch on Steam.
#Subnautica2 #ExperimentalBuild #SteamTutorial
Want to play upcoming Subnautica 2 content early? In this tutorial, I'll show you exactly how to install and enable the Subnautica 2 Experimental Build on Steam, along with how to switch back to the normal Public Build whenever you want.
The Experimental branch gives you access to in-development versions of Subnautica 2 before that content is released to the main Early Access build.
Thankfully, switching versions on Steam is extremely easy.
To install the Subnautica 2 Experimental Build:
1. Open your Steam Library
2. Right-click Subnautica 2
3. Select Properties
4. Open the Game Versions & Betas tab
5. Find the Beta Participation dropdown
6. Change the game from the default Public Build to Experimental
Once Experimental is selected, close the Properties window.
Steam should automatically begin downloading and installing any additional files required for the Experimental version of Subnautica 2.
Once that finishes, launch the game normally through Steam and you'll now be running the Experimental Build.
I'll also show you how to switch Subnautica 2 back to the normal Public Build.
Simply return to:
Steam Library → Subnautica 2 → Properties → Game Versions & Betas
Then change Beta Participation from:
Experimental
back to:
Public / Default Build
Steam will once again automatically download whatever files are required to reinstall the correct version.
One IMPORTANT thing to know before switching:
⚠️ Experimental and Public saves are separate.
If you launch Experimental and don't see your normal Subnautica 2 saves, they have not necessarily been deleted. Experimental uses separate save data, and when you switch back to the Public Build your normal saves should appear again.
Experimental builds may also contain unfinished content, bugs, crashes, balance changes, and other issues that haven't reached the main Early Access release yet.
In this Subnautica 2 Steam tutorial I'll show you:
✅ How to install the Experimental Build
✅ Where to find Game Versions & Betas
✅ How to enable Beta Participation
✅ How to switch from Public to Experimental
✅ How Steam installs the Experimental files
✅ How to switch back to the Public Build
✅ What happens to your save files
✅ How to access upcoming Subnautica 2 content early
If you want to explore new Subnautica 2 features, map changes, biomes, creatures, and other content while it's still being developed, this is how you access the Experimental branch on Steam.
#Subnautica2 #ExperimentalBuild #SteamTutorial
