Lawn Mowing Simulator 2 arrives on Xbox Series X|S and Windows with Play Anywhere
Microsoft's Xbox Wire release-week roundup lists the game for September 23. It says the game is "Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / XBOX Play Anywhere" and gives the price as $29.99. Before launch, Gematsu reported that Skyhook Games announced the game would launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam and Microsoft Store on September 23. VGChartz carried the same announcement.
Xbox Play Anywhere means a digital copy bought through Microsoft's store works on both Xbox and Windows PC. The Xbox store listing names PC, Xbox Series X|S and handheld as supported devices. It also lists Xbox achievements, Xbox cloud saves, 4K Ultra HD, single-player and "more than 60 fps." That listing doesn't say which hardware or settings the 60 fps claim applies to, so read it as a marketing line, not a benchmark. The store also marks the game as optimized for handheld devices.
TheXboxHub reports that Lawn Mowing Simulator 2 is not on Game Pass at launch. Microsoft's own roundup is consistent with that: it adds a Game Pass tag to titles such as Dune: Awakening and Well Dweller, and the Lawn Mowing Simulator 2 entry has none. The first game is different. Its Xbox listing still says it is cloud playable with XBOX Game Pass Essential, Premium or Ultimate, although a purchase is required.
Prices vary by region and store. Steam and Xbox Wire both list $29.99. The Mexican Xbox store lists MXN$529. TheXboxHub gives a UK price of £21.99, which we could not confirm from a first-party UK listing.
Skyhook rebuilds the grass so a cut lawn looks different at a glance
The biggest change is the one players stare at for hours: the grass. Skyhook's Steam page says the studio built a new grass system from scratch and calls it one of the most important elements it wanted to improve from the original game. The aim is that cut and uncut grass look clearly different at a glance. Uncut lawns now vary more in height, and flowers and weeds grow as part of the lawn.
Skyhook's launch announcement goes further. Gematsu reports that the new grass technology puts millions of blades of grass at each location. VGChartz, working from the same announcement, adds that variations in grass height and tuftiness are meant to show how thick the lawn is and how to handle each section in cut height and speed. That links the visuals to gameplay: you read the lawn to choose your deck height and mowing speed.
One detail from the run-up to launch is worth knowing. In a July 30 developer update, Skyhook said mower wheels and decks would bend or flatten grass by different amounts at launch, so players can make patterns. It also said there would be no dedicated "Stripe" contracts at launch. Players who liked striping lawns in the first game can still do it, but the career won't have jobs built around it at launch.
Leaf blowers and an explorable HQ widen the Lawn Mowing Simulator 2 career
Most of the new content comes from jobs other than mowing. The sequel has 11 locations, which Skyhook says is more than the original had at launch. They cover suburban lawns and commercial and municipal properties, and most have several contracts of different sizes and themes. Leaf clearing and weed removal are new tasks.
Leaf blowers are the most requested addition. Skyhook says that "tens of thousands of leaves can be blown around at once". The job works in steps: blow leaves and grass clippings onto a tarp until it's full, carry the tarp to a debris bag and empty it, then repeat. A rake handles spots the blower can't reach. The leaf count is Skyhook's claim, not a measured figure, and nobody has yet shown how that load affects frame rates on low-end hardware.
Returning customers now get changed properties. Skyhook's example is a house that gains new flower beds on one visit and an above-ground pool or flagpole on the next. The idea is that regular clients won't hand you the same job twice. The first game had a weakness here. TheXboxHub gave it 3.5 out of 5, praising its machinery and management systems but finding that daily mowing could wear thin unless you were already hooked on lawn care. Skyhook's changes aim at that problem, though whether they fix it is a question for reviews.
The career runs from a new headquarters you can walk around. According to Skyhook's announcement as reported by Gematsu, players can set up contracts, hire employees, and maintain and expand their fleet of equipment there. Character customization has also been expanded.
The equipment roster swaps Toro for Kubota
The machinery lineup has changed in a way series fans will notice. The original game was set in the Great British countryside and featured licensed mowers from Toro, SCAG and STIGA. The sequel keeps SCAG and STIGA, replaces Toro with Kubota, and brings back Skyhook's own brands, Patterson and Knight.
New mowers, string trimmers and several leaf blowers join the roster, and Skyhook says LMS2 launches with more equipment than the first game had at release. For comparison, the original offered 12 mowers in the base game, each with their own challenges, attachments and upgrades. The studio also says it plans to add equipment after launch, as it did with the first game. That game did get expansions: its Landmark Edition adds 4 new locations: The Royal Stones, Druid Tor, The Ancient Aurochs and Aurochs Hill.
Skyhook is paying for the sequel itself. When the game was announced in 2025, Worthplaying reported that the studio said self-funding would enable the team to retain complete control over the future direction of the game. That fits the studio's focus on community feedback and additions after launch.
LMS2's Windows 10 and 11 requirements start at DirectX 12 and 45 GB
The Steam listing gives PC buyers more to plan around than the Xbox storefront does. The game requires 64-bit Windows 10 or Windows 11 and DirectX 12, plus a broadband connection on both the minimum and recommended tiers. Steam doesn't explain why broadband is listed for a single-player game, but anyone planning offline play should note it.
| Requirement | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 10/11 64-bit | Windows 10/11 64-bit |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-6400 or AMD Ryzen 5 1400 | Intel Core i7-10700 or AMD Ryzen 7 3800X |
| Memory | 8 GB RAM | 12 GB RAM |
| Graphics | GeForce GTX 1050 Ti or Radeon RX 470 (3 GB VRAM, DX12) | GeForce RTX 2070, Radeon RX 5700 XT or Intel Arc A750 (8 GB VRAM, DX12) |
| Storage | 45 GB | 45 GB |
| Skyhook's target | 30 fps or higher, Low settings, 1080p | 60 fps or higher, High settings, 1080p |
Both frame-rate targets are for 1080p, and Skyhook notes that actual performance depends on your whole system. The jump from 3 GB to 8 GB of video memory between tiers is large. Our inference is that the new grass and leaf systems are why a mowing sim asks for a mid-range card for High settings.
Steam Deck owners should be careful. In the July update, Skyhook said it was aiming for Steam Deck verification by the full Steam launch. That was a goal, and we found no confirmation that the game was Verified on launch day. Check the game's Deck compatibility rating on Steam before you buy for Deck.
Steam or Microsoft Store: what each version of Lawn Mowing Simulator 2 gives you
The two PC stores offer different extras. On Steam, the game has single-player, Steam Cloud, Family Sharing and 44 Steam Achievements. Steam lists interface language support for English, French, German, Spanish (Spain), Simplified Chinese, Italian and Brazilian Portuguese, but doesn't mark full audio or subtitles for any of them. Steam also has a free demo and two 10%-off bundles: one with PowerWash Simulator 2 for $49.48 and one with Planet Coaster 2 for $71.98.
The Microsoft Store version gives you Xbox Play Anywhere, Xbox achievements and Xbox cloud saves. Its main advantage is one purchase for both your Xbox and your Windows PC. The Xbox listing shows eight supported languages, one more than Steam's seven. The listing doesn't say which language is the extra one. On timing, Steam still showed the game as not yet available shortly before its scheduled unlock on launch day. The PlayStation Store listed the PS5 version for 13:00 UTC on September 23.
Which version of Lawn Mowing Simulator 2 to buy
Your choice depends mostly on where you already play. If you have an Xbox Series X|S and a Windows PC, the Microsoft Store version is the only one that covers both and carries your progress between them through Xbox cloud saves. If you play only on PC and your library, friends and Family Sharing are on Steam, the Steam version makes more sense. You can try the demo there before paying.
- Lawn Mowing Simulator 2 launched September 23, 2026 on Xbox Series X|S, PC and PS5, listed at $29.99 in the US.
- The Microsoft Store version supports Xbox Play Anywhere, so one purchase covers Xbox and Windows PC, with Xbox achievements and cloud saves.
- TheXboxHub reports the game is not in Game Pass at launch, and Microsoft's release roundup does not tag it as a Game Pass title.
- On PC you need 64-bit Windows 10 or 11, a DirectX 12 GPU with at least 3 GB of VRAM, 8 GB of RAM and 45 GB of free storage. The High-settings target calls for an 8 GB card such as an RTX 2070 or RX 5700 XT.
- Before launch, Skyhook called Steam Deck verification a goal, so check the Deck rating before you buy for Deck.
- Players who want dedicated striping jobs should know Skyhook said none would ship at launch, though mower decks and wheels can still leave patterns.
Lawn Mowing Simulator 2 is a bigger game than the first, and on Xbox it treats Windows PC as a full second platform. It has more locations, more jobs, a new grass system and a harder PC spec than the original. The studio has said equipment will keep coming after launch, as it did with the first game. First player reviews will show whether the rebuilt grass and changing gardens fix the repetition that critics found in the original.