Phasmophobia News

• All major headsets are now officially supported, and in the future as more are released they should work by default
  
• VR players will now see a small cursor when attempting to grab objects
  
• There are 2 options for grabbing objects
  
  • Toggle - Press the button to grab, press it again to release
    
  • Hold - Requiring you to keep the button pressed down to keep hold of things
    Index users note: you can change from squeeze to grab in your SteamVR settings, to replicate grabbing in other games
• Equipment belt and head camera slots in the truck will now highlight when attempting to slot something into them
  
• 'VR Seated Mode' and 'Left Handed Mode' have been added to the options
  
• Height Calibration has been added to the options, allowing you to align your player character model with your real-life body
  
• New hand poses and animations have been added for better visual feedback, such as using a light switch and opening doors
  
• You can now swap objects between your hands by grabbing
  
• You can now simulate crouching in VR by pressing the right thumbstick/ trackpad
  
• You can snap turn 180 degrees by pressing down (if snap turning is enabled)
  
• The walkie-talkie and journal are now placed on the belt to make them easier to grab and use
  
• Improved VR throwing physics so you can now accurately throw objects
  
• Smooth Camera mode has been improved for better recording and streaming of VR gameplay
  
• Improved character walking animations for VR players in multiplayer
  
• New model and textures for the VR belt
  
• All OpenXR runtimes are now supported eg. Oculus / Mixed Reality Portal etc.

• Some spots are so good, you can’t be killed at all
  
• It negates the hiding spot blockers in higher difficulties
  
• It neglects the initial scout of the location to find places to hide, as you can just go to the same door every time

• If a spot is blocked, sometimes Instead of adding objects, some spots will have items removed instead (e.g. a shelf you can hide behind no longer being there)
  
• The number of blocked hiding spots in all locations has been adjusted, and you will now always have a minimum number of hiding spots per difficulty
  
  • Amateur = All hiding spots
    
  • Intermediate = 3+ hiding spots
    
  • Professional = 2+ hiding spots
    
  • Nightmare = 1+ hiding spot(s)
    
• Door flaps have been added to the small tents within Maple Lodge Campsite, they will now work as normal hiding spots, similarly to closets in other locations
  
• Several doors, objects and walls have been added or moved to remove several unintended safe spots
  
• Willow Street House has received significant changes to make hiding spots much more consistent
  

• The screens in the Truck have been updated
  
• The sound sensor has received new visuals and functionality
  
  • Sound sensors now cover a spherical area of sound instead of a thin cube, and its size has been increased
    
  • Sound Sensors are now placed in the same way as candles and cameras, on tables, floors and other objects
    
  • Sounds are now displayed more accurately when shown on the monitor in the van
    
• You can now choose different options for how your voice is transmitted locally
  
  • Voice activation
    
  • Push to talk
    
  • On/Off Toggle
    
  • (Global/walkie-talkie transmission will always be push to talk)
    
• Obake can now leave unique evidence on light switches, keyboards and prison cell doors
  
  • A double fingerprint on light switches
  • Five fingerprints on prison doors and keyboards
• You can now cross off ghost types in the journal
  
• Dead players can now sprint infinitely
  
• New fingerprints have been added for light switches, keyboards and prison cell doors
  
• The amount of possible first and last names for ghosts has been greatly increased
  
• Ghosts can now knock on the patio doors in Ridgeview and Tanglewood (and leave fingerprints)
  
• New sounds have been added
  
• Added a light switch and ceiling light to the Edgefield basement
  
• Added several colliders to trees in Maple Lodge Campsite
  
• Ghosts can now interact with keyboards to turn on desktop computers in the house maps
  
• The Soft Shadows setting will now affect all lights instead of only equipment lights
  
• The previous game's photos in the lobby are now easier to see
  
• Added sounds to lockers
  
• Added a light switch to the cleaning closet in Maple Campsite
  
• Added eyelashes to the player models
  
• Added fingerprints to the toilet stall doors in Prison, Asylum and School
  
• Updated engine for better performance, increased stability and VR compatibility
  

• Volumetric Lighting has been temporarily removed and will return with the Foggy weather in a later update
  
• Fingerprints will now be placed on the light switch instead of next to it
  
• Several light switches have been moved to more intuitive positions
  
• Several assets have been moved (such as garden fences) to better align them with the environment
  
• Several floors have had their materials changed
  
• The Parabolic Microphone will now update faster
  
  • Every 1 second (previously 2 seconds)
    
• Audio effects have been adjusted to improve distinction of sounds between different floors
  
• Lighting has been adjusted in Ridgeview, Edgefield and Tanglewood to improve performance
  
• Thunder sound effects have been improved to be more dynamic during heavy rain
  
• Improved effects for sink taps
  
• Replaced sink tap audio
  
• Scrolling with the scroll wheel in the journal has been improved
  
• Some spotlights have been adjusted so that they also illuminate the ceiling (e.g. Willow kitchen, Tanglewood garage)
  
• The computer in Tanglewood is now turned on with the keyboard instead of the screen
  
• Placement holograms will no longer cast or receive shadows
  
• Replaced EU plug sockets with US ones
  
• Locker doors now have slots you can see through
  
• Prison doors are now much easier to slide
  
• Sanity pills price has been reduced to $20 (to accommodate for the bug fix below)
  
• Players talking, including using the walkie-talkie, no longer give readings on the parabolic microphone and sound sensor
  
• Reduced the polygon count of many objects, mainly the bed in Edgefield
  

• Fixed a bug where some ghost events didn’t play ghost sounds
  
• Fixed a bug where you could sometimes grab a tent door that was not visible (e.g., behind you)
  
• Fixed a bug where some lights in the farmhouses wouldn’t stop your sanity draining
  
• Fixed a bug where the Onryo wouldn’t interact correctly if you didn’t get the Summoning Circle Cursed Possession
  
• Fixed a bug where the ghost event objective would complete when there was no ghost event
  
• Fixed a safe spot in the Ridgeview garage
  
• Fixed a bug where sprint stamina wasn’t re-generating if you had your journal open
  
• Fixed a bug where the journal brightness setting was higher than the main menu setting
  
• Fixed a bug where after a hunt; the ghosts audio would fade out and back in briefly
  
• Fixed a bug where Sanity Pills were not being removed from your inventory if used or if you died
  
• Fixed a bug where the mist ghost event wasn't working correctly
  
• Fixed a bug where the ghost would not walk towards you during some ghost events
  

• Scrollbars in the main menu are hard to use
  
• You will need to grab objects twice if you were not the last player to grab them
  
• Applying settings whilst crouched resets your height
  
• Can't grab some cabinet doors
  

• [h3]Lighthouse [/h3]
  
  • Small location with 8 rooms
    
  • A lighthouse located on a remote island in the middle of a hazardous sea
    
  • Players can complete maintenance on the light and tower for bonus rewards
    
• [h3]Funfair [/h3]
  
  • A medium outdoor map featuring minigames, a house of mirrors and a completely interactive haunted fun house
    
  • You must buy a ticket for $100 to enter this location, per player
    
• [h3]Church [/h3]
  
  • A medium location with a large open main hall, perfect for losing ghosts and items
    
  • Graveyard with dynamically generated gravestones for every previous death on your account
    
  • Enter the crypts and choose which ghost model you’d like to scare you
    

• [h3]Spirit [/h3]
  Spirits have developed a dependency on Smudge Sticks, and will stop all activity and leave the location unless you light them nearby
  
  • Increased smudge stick duration on Spirits to 5 minutes
• [h3]Revenant [/h3]
  The OG speed-demon has had enough of you all sprinting away and hiding, so we’ve put him back to his rightful top spot
  
  • Revenants now sprint when players sprint, setting them to their maximum speed
  • Revenant grace period is now always 1 second
• [h3]The Twins [/h3]
  
  • The ‘twin’ ghost will now join the team and help with the investigation
• [h3]The Mimic [/h3]
  
  • Mimics now mimic all ghosts at the same time, and always have every strength and weakness
• [h3]Raiju [/h3]
  
  • Raiju will now speed up as long as the fuse box is on, when near switched on lights and when players are using walkie-talkies
    
• [h3]Poltergeist[/h3]
  
  • Poltergeists can now throw players
• [h3]Obake [/h3]
  Obake were having some trouble changing forms as they were too shy, so we’ve given them an encouragement speech and now they think they’re ready to change in front of players
  
  • Obake will now change ghost models every second during events and hunts

• Added an open world area where you can drive back and forth to each location
  
• Added a shop location where you will have to drive to in order to buy your equipment
  
• You must now bring all equipment back to the truck or you will lose them
  

• The ghost player will have 1 minute to hide the bone and cursed possession before choosing a favourite room to stay in
  
• During hunts players that are talking or have equipment turned on will glow red through walls
  
• The ghost player will be able to talk to investigators through the spirit box
  
• Ghost players will steal the money of anyone they kill, and can use it to upgrade abilities in a new 3 tier skill tree
  

• [h3]Ghost-e-ball [/h3]
  A red and white sphere like item that can be used to capture the ghost, in exchange for additional rewards OR can be trained to "become the very best!"
  
  
• [h3]Teddy Bear[/h3]
  A fluffy toy that responds to ghost activity, but can also be placed to hug the nearest player for a 1% sanity increase
  
  
• [h3]Buddy [/h3]
  You can now ‘Use’ the bone to summon a dog that will follow you and will bark when near the ghost
  
  
• [h3]Wrist Watch [/h3]
  A watch that tells you the time
  

• You can now perform an exorcism to delete the ghost, this will be permanent and you will never get that ghost type again. The game is completed when you run out of ghost types to play against
  
• Added dust particles to each room to make finding ghost orbs harder
  
• Added batteries hidden around each location, unique to each flashlight
  
• Added an easter egg in an Asylum bedroom
  
• There is now a chance for no ghost to spawn in the location, players can select ‘None’ in the journal to receive rewards
  
• Added an optional objective after the contract to go back and clean the location for extra rewards
  
• Added room names above all doors in Prison
  
• Added an option to increase and decrease the maximum players in a server (Max 100)
  
• You can now go prone by pressing the ‘Z’ key to hide under beds
  
• You can now use the spray cans to draw graffiti
  
• You can now change your characters clothes by taking them out of wardrobes when in a location, this only works if you are the only player in that room
  
• Added raytracing support
  
• Added an option to replace all textures and geometry with white cubes to improve performance for those with old computers
  
• You can now play the game on mobile devices
  
• You can now press 'N' to dance
  

• The parabolic microphone will now play back all sounds at 500% volume, allowing you to hear things from further away
  
• Reduced sprint duration from 3s to 1.5s
  
• Reduced sprint cooldown from 5s to 2.5s
  
• Sanity Pills will now only spawn inside bathrooms and are no longer buyable
  
• You will now be fined by the home owners for every item that has been misplaced, dropped, broken or stolen
  
• You now have to lock the exit doors and place the key under the doormat when you leave, otherwise you will be fined
  
• Sinks and showers will now flood the house if you don’t turn them off
  
• You can now attach all equipment to tripods
  
• Replaced all Spirit Box audio with “E”
  
• The main key will sometimes be hidden outside the location instead of spawning in the truck
  
• Converted the entire game from Unity to Unreal Engine 5
  

• Fixed a bug where equipment and lights would flicker whenever the ghost appeared
  
• Fixed a bug where ghosts were flashing on and off during hunts
  
• Fixed a bug where the Newbridge Beech House contract could not be selected
  
• Fixed a bug where players could hide behind doors (by removing all doors in all locations)
  
• Fixed a bug where the ‘Death’ tarot card didn’t instantly kill you
  
• Fixed a bug where you could get EMF 5 by looking at the activity monitor
  
• Fixed a bug where voice recognition breaks when tabbing out
  
• Fixed a bug where you couldn’t jump
  
• Fixed a bug where the power would turn off if you turned on too many lights
  
• Fixed a bug where players could hold 3 items instead of 2
  
• Fixed a bug where flashlights were staying on even when in your pocket
  
• Fixed a bug where if two people grabbed an object at the same time, the item would duplicate
  
• Fixed a bug where you could glitch doors off of their hinges
  
• Fixed a bug where you could glitch yourself inside of walls
  
• Fixed a bug where you couldn’t see the ghost's relationship meter
  
• Fixed a bug where the ghosts looked like they wanted to kill you, instead of give you a cuddle
  
• Fixed a bug where ghosts were hugging your eye sockets instead of your body when they got to you
  
• Fixed a bug where “#BlameLavender”, “#BlameDK” and “#BlameCJ” categories weren’t visible in the bug reporter
  
• Fixed a bug where hackers weren’t able to hack everything
  
• Fixed a bug where the letter ‘H’ was found on keyboards when it shouldn’t be
  
• Fixed a bug where ghosts were being naughty
  

• Hantu can no longer turn on the power, as this would stop them accelerating
• Hantu have received hunt speed changes
  
  • 1.4 = 15°C+
  • 1.75 = 12°C
  • 2.1 = 9°C
  • 2.3 = 6°C
  • 2.5 = 3°C
  • 2.7 = 0°C

• Fixed a bug where the tarot cards did not drop properly after drawing a hanged man, causing them to be in your inventory again after being revived
  
• Fixed a bug where the tarot card animation did not play when you used them again after drawing a hanged man
  
• Fixed a bug where the voodoo doll wouldn't start a hunt when used with no sanity
  
• Fixed a bug where the voodoo doll and tower card would sometimes require the lights to be off to get an interaction
  
• Fixed a bug where the weather particles wouldn't always be visible after you were revived
  
• Fixed an issue where it was hard to take a photo of the crawling ghosts
  
• Fixed a bug where the parabolic sounds could change sound while they were playing
  
• Fixed a bug where the Banshee parabolic sound volume was fading in and out
  
• Fixed a bug where Banshees would not be able to detect voices and equipment during hunts if the Banshee target was outside
  
• Fixed a bug where voice recognition, some ghost traits and events were not working in rooms after the light was blown
  
• Fixed a bug where multiple players were being revived during Nightmare hunts when the high priestess card was drawn
  
• Fixed a bug where the devil, hermit and death tarot card could stop the hunt if used as soon as a hunt started
  
• Fixed a bug where Phantoms were showing in ghost photos taken by other players
  
• Fixed a bug where the devil card would not work if you had high sanity with a Shade
  
• Fixed a bug where the ghost would sometimes move during the hunt grace period
  

If you're a Phasmophobia fan, you'll know that the devs at Kinetic Games love a teaser and, while the game's patch notes tend to offer a hearty rundown of the changes coming with each update, the devs are now looking to be even clearer about what's new. Following a recent fan poll the devs ran in the ghost game's Discord server, they've opted to spell out changes in more detail going forward.

Lead artist Corey J Dixon made clear in Discord that the poll "in no way guarantees how we actually write patch notes in the future," and that the team was "just looking for opinions and to create discussion for the possibility of change". However, the option offering the most detail about changes to the game ("reveal everything that's new or changed within each update" apart from "hidden abilities" and easter eggs) was the runaway success, with multiple times the number of votes as the less-detailed options - and the latest patch notes reflect this.

"In light of the most recent Discord poll, we've decided to experiment with being more transparent in writing patch notes when we update the game," Kinetic Games explains in the v0.5.2.0 balance patch post.

Read the rest of the story...

RELATED LINKS:

Phasmophobia devs tease journal changes and "extra room" for something

Games like Phasmophobia: the best ghost games in 2022

Phasmophobia devs reveal new sound sensor and tease "functionality adjustments"

• [h3]Demon[/h3]
  Demons have had their weakness replaced with the Banshee’s, as it is more thematical and serves as a better counter to their strength
  
  • Crucifixes will stop a hunt starting within 5m instead of 3m
  
  
• [h3]Banshee[/h3]
  Banshee has received a new weakness and new abilities
  
  • Weakness: Banshees can sometimes be heard wailing with a parabolic microphone
    
  • The Banshee’s paranormal sound has been improved
    
  • Singing ghost events will now drain an extra 5% sanity on the Banshee's target
  • Banshees will only check their targets sanity % for initiating a hunt in multiplayer
  • Banshees will often wander toward their target when roaming
• [h3]Shade[/h3]
  We've found that some Shades are particularly fond of showing themselves early on in contracts, so we've dialled them back a bit to avoid confusion with other ghosts:
  Shades will have a much lower chance to perform ghost events, returning to normal as average player sanity decreases
  
  • For every 1% of average sanity lost, ghost event chance is increased by 2% (capped at 100%), for example:
    • 100% average sanity = 0% chance
    • 75% average sanity = 50% chance
    • 50% average sanity = 100% chance
• [h3]Poltergeist[/h3]
  Poltergeist’s ability will now reduce the sanity of all players around the ghost instead of just one player
  
  • 2% sanity drain per object thrown
• [h3]Hantu[/h3]
  Hantu have become the new ghost people love to loop, which is great. However, they weren't threatening when they should be! So we've given them some speed and ability changes to make them a bit more frightening in the cold.
  
  • Hantu now have double the chance to turn off the power
  • Hantu will now show their breath in room temperatures of 3°C or lower
  • Hantu maximum speed has been increased, and will change speed between smaller temperature brackets
    
    • 1.4 m/s= 15°C+
    • 1.5 m/s= 12°C
    • 1.65 m/s= 9°C
    • 1.8 m/s= 6°C
    • 2.2 m/s= 3°C
    • 2.5 m/s= 0°C

• ‘The High Priestess’ tarot card has received new functionality, which should help with drawing one early, playing solo and to counter some of the risk involved with other cards
  
  • Drawing this card when no one is dead will revive the next player who dies

• ‘The Tower’ card and Voodoo Doll pins can now force the ghost to interact with the Ghost Writing Book, DOTS Projector and doors, instead of only interacting with clutter
  
• Voodoo Doll’s sanity drain has been reduced
  
  • Normal pins from 10% to 5%
  • Heart pin from 20% to 10%
• Grey 'Ghost' text will no longer appear in the journal when taking a second ghost photo
  
• Ghosts will no longer turn on lights before smashing them
  

• Fixed a bug where the Voodoo Doll was only working for the host
  
• Fixed a bug where the Ghost Writing evidence interaction was not showing on sound sensors or the parabolic microphone
  
• Fixed a bug where solo players could use the Spirit Box and Ouija Board without pressing their voice key if 'push to talk' was enabled
  
• Fixed a bug where the Hantu freezing breath would be visible when the ghost wasn’t visible
  
• Fixed a bug where the Banshee would not set a new target until the next hunt if the target disconnected
  
• Fixed a bug where the Banshee was not changing target after killing a player in Nightmare
  
• Fixed a bug where drawing 'The Tower' card at the same time a hunt starts would cancel it
  
• Fixed a bug where the Ouija Board would not play a sound on the first letter movement
  
• Fixed a bug where the ghost could not turn on and off lights when the host was dead
  
• Fixed a bug where the other players photo camera screens would turn on when they walked out of the truck (this is intentional for performance reasons)
  
• Fixed a bug where the ghost would sometimes think you still had a photo camera in your hand during a hunt if you dropped it
  
• Fixed a bug where ghost's wouldn't notice you holding a photo camera during a hunt (if the host was in the truck when you grabbed it)
  
• Fixed a bug where lightning only struck once during heavy rain
  
• Fixed a bug where rain and snow effects would turn on and off when another player walked in and out of the truck
  
• Fixed a bug where lights in several maps did not play sounds or particle effects when smashed by a ghost
  
• Fixed a bug where asking to play "hide and seek" with the Ouija board would restart the hunt if one already started during the countdown
  
• Fixed a bug where having equipment turned on in your inventory would speed up the Raiju during a hunt
  
• Fixed an issue where you could spam light switches to force the Mare’s ability
  
• Fixed an issue where some blocked hiding spots in Bleasdale and Grafton were stopping you from interacting with certain objects
  
• Potential fix for the ghost not always showing in ghost photos taken by other players