Day and Night Cycle - How to Change and Skip Time

Day and night cycle in Subnautica 2. See how long the day and night last, how to change time, skip time, and how to check the in-game time.

How Long Is the Day and Night Cycle

Full Day and Night Cycle Lasts 20 Mins

One full day in Subnautica 2 lasts around 20 minutes in real time. This cycle is divided into 15 minutes of daytime and 5 minutes of nighttime.

No Custom Time Settings Available

At the moment, there are no in-game settings that allow players to adjust the length of the day and night cycle. The current Early Access build does not include sliders or modifiers for changing daylight duration.

How to Change and Skip Time

Currently Cannot Skip the Night

If you are looking for a way to fast-forward time, Subnautica 2 currently has no built-in feature to skip or change time in the current Early Access version. Unlike the original Subnautica, where beds allowed players to skip directly to morning, that feature is not available right now.

Use Beds to Freeze Stat Depletion

Although beds cannot skip the night, lying down applies a Stasis effect that completely pauses your oxygen, food, and water consumption. This makes beds useful for safely waiting out the 5-minute nighttime cycle without draining your supplies while AFK.

How to Get the Single Bed Blueprint

Fragment	Location / POI Name
Single Bed Fragment 1	[Location] 230m Southeast of the Lifepod (42m Deep) - Near Chap's Blackbox [POI] Colonist Bunker (Quaker's Meetinghouse)
Single Bed Fragment 2	[Location] 250m Southwest of the Lifepod (86m Deep) [POI] Colonist Bunker (Unauthorized NoA Modification)

You need to scan 2 Single Bed Fragments to unlock the blueprint. After unlocking it, simply interact with the bed and select "Lay Down" to rest.

Single Bed Crafting Recipe

Name	Required Items	Where to Craft
Single Bed	- Titanium x2 - Fiber x3	Habitat Builder (Must Be Built Inside a Room)

After scanning both fragments, you can place the bed inside your base using the Habitat Builder.

How to Check the In-Game Time

Use the Time of Day Display

Since there is no traditional clock system in the game, the Time of Day Display acts as a visual tracker for the current cycle. Instead of showing exact numerical time, it works as a visual dial that tracks the position of the sun to tell the time.

Use the Visual Cues Before Exploring

By checking the display, you can quickly tell whether it is currently day or night and estimate how close the sun is to setting or rising. This helps players better plan deep-sea expeditions before visibility drops during nighttime.

How to Get the Time of Day Display

Fragment	Location / POI Name
Time of Day Display Fragment 1	[Location] 1,250m East of the Lifepod [POI] Rosetta Stone
Time of Day Display Fragment 2	[Location] 1,380m East of the Lifepod - Located deeper below Fragment 1 [POI] Needler Nest

Like the Single Bed blueprint, you must scan 2 Time of Day Display Fragments to unlock it. Both fragments are located fairly close to each other, making it easy to collect both during a single trip.

Time of Day Display Crafting Recipe

Name	Required Items	Where to Craft
Time of Day Display	- Titanium x1 - Enameled Glass x1 - Copper x1	Habitat Builder (Must Be Built Inside a Room)

Once both fragments are scanned, you can place the display inside any powered base module using the Habitat Builder.

Time of Day Display Consumes Energy

While the Time of Day Display is very useful for tracking the cycle, keep in mind that it continuously consumes power once active. It applies a constant -1/sec energy drain to your base grid, so make sure your habitat has enough energy generation to support it.

Related Articles

Recommended Guides

Walkthrough (Early to Late-Game)	Plant Farming Guide	Cooking and Recipes Guide
Best Biomods	Best Tadpole Upgrades	Metal Farm Guide

Progression & Priorities
Early Game	Mid-Game	Late Game

Lists

All Leviathans	All Items List	Biomes & PoI List
Blackbox List	Recipe Data Cards (Blueprints)	Vehicle List
Buildings & Facilities List

Notable Items

Salt	Silver	Copper
Lead	Lucifer Rotsac	Conduit Crystals
Creature Enamel	Enameled Glass	Troilite
Celestine

Guides for Beginners

Multiplayer Guide	How to Eat Food (Digestion)	How to Craft Items
Drinking Water Guide	How to Craft Air Tank?	How to Get Basic Fins
Scanner Station Guide	How to Manage Your Oxygen?	Base Guide
Alien Ruins	How to Use Coordinates	Tadpole Guide
How to Get More Storage	How to Get a Rebreather	Bioscanner Guide
Night Survival Guide	How to Heal	Angel Comb Guide
How to Power Your Base	How to Recharge Batteries and Tools	How to Get the Repair Tool
World Tree Guide	Flashlight Guide	Strong Acid Guide
How to Get Heat Tolerance	Scanner Guide	How to Get Tadpole Depth Module Mk. 2
How to Get a Wakemaker	How to Get Fibrous Pulp

Pre-Game Guides

Specs Requirements	New Game Features	Is There Crossplay?
Supported Devices	Update & Roadmap	How Long to Beat?
Can You Play Subnautica 2 on PS5 and PS4?	Is Subnautica 2 on Xbox?	Is Subnautica 2 on Steam?
Is Subnautica 2 on Switch?