The developers of Subnautica 2 are exploring ways to get Xbox players to test new features early, which is not typically possible for Xbox Game Preview titles.
In a recent interview with Game File, lead developer Anthony Gallegos discussed the Xbox port and its relative parity with the PC version of the game. One place where the two versions differ is that Steam players will have access to experimental branches where players can test new features before they’re rolled out to all players. Developers can’t do that on Xbox right now, but Unknown Worlds wants to change that.
“Every patch that goes out will go out on Xbox and Steam and the Epic Games Store, all of our store platforms at the same time, because we have cross-play,” Gallegos told Game File. “We’re even looking at trying to figure out, like, are there ways that we could do different branches with the Xbox? But that’s still sort of the discussions we’re having. Because we typically always run experimental branches [on PC].”
Opting into beta branches of early-access games helps players feel like they’re part of the development process as developers determine if the changes they are making are wanted. While Xbox supports early access releases through an initiative called Xbox Game Preview, only a single version of the game can exist.
In fact, Microsoft canceled a Game Pass feature called Project Moorcroft that would have allowed developers to launch experimental demos of their games for feedback. Now, Unknown Worlds is looking for a way to make something like Project Moorcroft possible for the Xbox port of Subnautica 2. We don’t know what form that pursuit will take, but it’s definitely something Xbox players should keep an eye on as the updates outlined in the game’s ambitious roadmap continue to come out.
Getting such a feature on Xbox would be helpful over the long term, as Subnautica 2 will remain in Steam Early Access and Xbox Game Preview for some time. Game File was told that the game would remain in early access for “at least two years,” while the game’s Steam page states early access could take up to three years.
