Subnautica Controls Cheat Sheet for Every Platform

Subnautica drops you into an alien ocean stocked with creatures that view you as a snack. Resource gathering, oxygen management, and the occasional desperate sprint past a Reaper Leviathan all depend on knowing which button does what. Before you even think about repairing the Aurora, get the controls dialed in. This guide breaks down the default keybinds for PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch, every one of which can be reassigned if the defaults clash with your muscle memory.

The control set is mercifully short. Movement, two hand slots, the PDA, and a five-slot hotbar cover almost everything you do underwater. Subnautica also lets you bind multiple inputs to the same action, so feel free to remap until things click.

PC Keybinds

PC players get the deepest customization, with separate keys for debug menus, screenshots, and full control over the inventory wheel. The defaults below assume a standard QWERTY layout.

Movement

• Move Forward: W
• Move Backward: S
• Move Left: A
• Move Right: D
• Move Up / Jump: Spacebar
• Move Down: C
• Sprint: Left Shift

Interaction

• Left Hand / Use: Left Mouse Click
• Right Hand: Right Mouse Click
• Reload: R
• Load Tool: F
• Exit / Holster: E
• Deconstruct: Q
• Rotate Item Left: Q
• Rotate Item Right: E

Inventory and Hotbar

• Slot 1 through Slot 5: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
• Next Item: Scroll Wheel Up
• Previous Item: Scroll Wheel Down
• PDA: Tab

System and Debug

• Take Picture: F11
• Hide / Show Interface: F6
• Debug Information Menu: F1
• Debug Graphics Menu: F3
• Feedback Menu: F8
• Windowed / Fullscreen: Alt + Enter

Xbox Controller Layout

On Xbox, the standard ABXY mapping handles most actions while the D-Pad takes care of item cycling and demolition work.

• Move: Left Stick
• Look: Right Stick
• Jump: Y
• PDA: View
• Sprint: A
• Left Hand / Use: A or LT
• Right Hand: RT
• Reload: X
• Exit / Holster: B
• Deconstruct: Down on D-Pad
• Cycle Next Item: Right on D-Pad
• Cycle Previous Item: Left on D-Pad
• Tool Alternate Use: Up on D-Pad
• Take Picture: Click Right Stick
• Move Up: RB
• Move Down: LB

PlayStation Controller Layout

The DualShock and DualSense bindings stay close to the Xbox scheme, swapping in PlayStation's face buttons and triggers.

• Move: Left Stick
• Look: Right Stick
• Jump: Triangle
• PDA: Touchpad
• Sprint: Cross
• Left Hand / Use: Cross or L2
• Right Hand: R2
• Reload: Square
• Exit / Holster: Circle
• Deconstruct: Down on D-Pad
• Cycle Next Item: Right on D-Pad
• Cycle Previous Item: Left on D-Pad
• Tool Alternate Use: Up on D-Pad
• Take Picture: R3
• Move Up: R1
• Move Down: L1

Nintendo Switch Layout

Switch players get a portable abyss but lose the dedicated PDA shortcut, which is reached through the menu instead.

• Move: Left Stick
• Look: Right Stick
• Jump: X
• PDA: Not bound by default
• Sprint: B
• Left Hand / Use: B or L2
• Right Hand: ZR
• Reload: Y
• Exit / Holster: A
• Deconstruct: Down on D-Pad
• Cycle Next Item: Right on D-Pad
• Cycle Previous Item: Left on D-Pad
• Tool Alternate Use: Up on D-Pad
• Take Picture: Click Right Stick
• Move Up: R
• Move Down: L

Once the bindings feel natural, the only thing standing between you and the surface is every toothy thing in the water. Good luck out there.