Phasmophobia: Notes to Take From the New Tutorial (V0.9 Update)

This evidence will likely cause confusion among players for awhile, since ultraviolet footsteps are now considered part of the evidence; instead of fingerprints exclusively, any ultraviolet trace the ghost leaves is now considered evidence. Additionally, the ultraviolet light held near one of these traces the ghost leaves will leave them charged if it remains in range long enough, allowing you to take a photo of them. Wraiths will still not step in salt still, which means using the different tiers for their effects likely won’t work against wraiths unless they can step in salt while hunting.

Note: GIFs will be added to this section as well!

Temperatures got a major rework that may also cause some confusion. In presence of the ghost, cold breath will appear; however, this does not always mean the temperatures are freezing now. The new default thermometer is not as quick and accurate as the one we became used to, as it is a vertical thermometer that is not electronic. While this means it should be able to not be tracked by the ghost if you are holding it, it also means that its readings take more time. A change from 20 C(68 F) to 0 C(32 F) can take upwards of a full minute for the thermometer to adjust, so leaving it in the room where the ghost is located and giving it time to adapt is a good idea for this new default thermometer.

Note: Unless requested, a gif will not be added to this section since the reading change takes so long on the T1 thermometer, and thus with the size limit of images and gifs, implementing one would not be practical.

The newest evidence that has been in the game for a good while now, the Detector of the Supernatural(or D.O.T.S. as we know it) is a laser grid inspired by the Xbox Kinect scene in the Paranormal Activity movie series. The new default projector is basically a laser pen, which is not very useful in seeing the ghost through. Its range is quite limited, so leaving it in one area is a good idea; however, unlike how you could with the ultraviolet light, you cannot stand it straight up(Unless you throw it precisely against a wall, but it will cover the same amount of area as if it were laying on the ground). Normally, the most efficient way to test for D.O.T.S.(Unless it is a goryo) in theory would be to place salt down, and then wait for the ghost to step in it. Then, approach the footsteps with the pen to test the evidence. Salt isn’t something everyone has, though, so leaving it on the ground and watching from a place where your sanity will not drain is a good idea as well. Notably, a counter or table for the pen to rest on will provide the maximum amount of coverage that you can get out of this tiny device.

Below is an example of how an elevated surface can give the pen more coverage of a room than if it were just on the floor.

For veteran players who have been around since the beginning, the new default camera and its night vision will be a nice nostalgic trip to the original night vision. The only difference with this video camera is that the quality is much, much lower, and it’s prone to interference and light disturbance. The panel displaying the feed on the video camera is also small, so it’s hard to see these ghost orbs with it. No changes were made to the ghost orb evidence itself, but the visibility of this evidence has some more dependence on the equipment now rather than just the weather or the environment.

Note: GIFs may be added here, but some examples in the comments on what scenarios the GIFs should display would prove very helpful 🙂

There was a slight visual rework with ghost writing that came with this update, which is the range indicator of the book, but most of all, clarification for the ghost writing as evidence is now much clearer for newer players. Notably, the tutorial mentions that the ghost will either interact with the book by throwing it or by writing in it. Unless there was a change someone discovers where it can throw the book and write in it later, this should conclude that you will not get ghost writing as evidence if the ghost throws it without writing in it first. Do note that on Nightmare difficulty or above, it may throw the book but still have ghost writing as evidence, because it is hiding that evidence. This is an exception where you can’t cross out ghost writing. Do also note that placing the book on the floor or on the table is now implied to not have a different chance of effectiveness, so as long as it’s placed in range of the ghost, the elevation should not matter.

Below is an example of the range of the ghost writing book when you place it down. Notice how it has a similar range like a crucifix.

Spirit box did not get any major reworks, but the new default spirit box is an antique device. The device works similarly to the spirit box before this update, where there are indicators for both whether your words were processed by the device and for whether the ghost gives a response. The voice of the new spirit box varies with mostly monotone, mundane voices, but to make it easier to tell whether you get a response, pay attention to the light immediately to the right of the ghost icon. If it flashes red, then your question/statement was heard, but not answered. If it flashes white, it means the ghost gave a response on the spirit box. Do make sure the lights are turned off in the room before you use it, otherwise they can prevent you from getting a response.

The image below displays the white light that you will get when receiving a response.

That’s it for evidence, but there’s still plenty to talk about and note in this update especially from the tutorial. The instructions and tips for hiding from the ghost are much more clear for new players now, so this tutorial is definitely a higher recommendation than before for newer players. It tells you to turn off your equipment and hide, and crouch behind something if possible when the ghost is hunting, but also mentions something unique about the setup timers; your sanity will not drop below 50% while the setup timer is active. If your sanity drops below this value because of a cursed object, or using a cursed object, this may cancel the timer entirely, and allow your sanity to drop.

The new default sanity medication is an elixir in an antique bottle. Unlike what we’re used to with the sanity pills, sanity is not restored instantly, but instead restored over time upon use. This can take 20-30 seconds to finish its effect, so waiting in the van is a good idea while you wait. There is also a timer widget in the shift+tab menu of steam for this game, which you can use if you’re not good at counting accurately. By default, the elixir restores around 40% sanity over the span of 20 seconds, from observations.

The tutorial did not mention other objects like candles, smudge sticks, motion sensors, crucifixes, head mounted cameras, or sound sensors, but these will likely be available in another guide with accurate details about each tier. When there is one, I will link it here 🙂