Quick Links
- How Many Tiers Are There?
- How Do You Unlock New Tiers?
- Is It Worth Upgrading Equipment?
- All Purchasable Items – Post-Ascension
Phasmophobia is a game that draws strong opinions, with even legacy players may have expressed boredom with the repetitive gameplay of entering a location and using the same loop of strategies repeatedly. Now with the Ascension update, you have new opportunities for gameplay to progress with the introduction of equipment upgrades.
Related: Phasmophobia: How To Guess The Ghost Type Using Behaviours
Now, the game requires you to strategize even before entering a location. This is your chance to feel like a new player again as you work through the experience levels and try out new strategies, combining low-tier items to match the effects of the higher, more expensive upgrades.
How Many Tiers Are There?
Each piece of equipment has three tiers, adding up to a whopping 60 total tiers to unlock. Some upgrades will be less useful than others, but some will be outright necessary.
How Do You Unlock New Tiers?
Unlocking new tiers requires experience levels and money. To purchase a new tier for an item, you will first need to achieve the required level displayed on the tier.
Once you reach the required level, you can spend money to buy the tier. This will not give you the item right away. Instead, anytime you purchase the item from now on, it will be the highest tier you have purchased.
All previously owned inventory will also match the highest tier you have purchased.
Tier One starter equipment will automatically be available when you first download the game or prestige. Similarly, you do not need to purchase Tier Obe for optional or consumable equipment as you level up.
Unlocking Tier One immediately makes the item available for you to purchase and add to your inventory. Tiers Two and Three will require an additional fee on top of reaching the level necessary for the respective tier to unlock.
Is It Worth Upgrading Equipment?
Short answer – YES! Not only will upgrading your equipment make it easier to discover what type of ghostly being is haunting you, but it will also extend your play sessions by giving you a chance to survive in the location longer.
Knowing what to upgrade depends on your play style. You should prioritize upgrading the items you use most often.
Most will immediately upgrade their flashlight to the highest tier possible when given the chance, but remember, the higher the tier, the greater the cost. Balance is key.
If your goal is to find all evidence without being hunted, you may want to upgrade items that can get the job done while you are safely tucked away in your truck.
If you want to turn the tables and antagonize the ghost, you might consider upgrading your incense or spirit box. There is no single correct order to upgrade equipment. Increasing your fun in the game by catering to your play style should be your goal.
All Purchasable Items – Post-Ascension
Equipment Name
Use
Category
Consumable?
D.O.T.S. Projector
Projects green dots within its range. Some ghosts will appear when passing through, indicating D.O.T.S Projector evidence.
Starter
No
EMF Reader
Detects EMF evidence within its range. Some ghosts and ghost events may trigger a level 5 presence, indicating EMF Level 5 evidence.
Starter
No
Flashlight
Used to see in the dark. When the light flashes, the ghost is hunting. Turning off your flashlight reduces sanity but helps reduce the risk of the ghost chasing you during a hunt.
Starter
No
Ghost Writing Book
Placing this in the ghost room may cause ghosts to leave writing, indicating Ghost Writing evidence.
Starter
No
Spirit Box
Speaking into a Spirit Box may yield a response from a ghost, indicating Spirit Box evidence.
Starter
No
Thermometer
Helpful in detecting ghost rooms and ghost presence. Displays the temperature of a space. A reading below 0 degrees Celsius (32 degrees Farenheit) indicates Freezing Temperatures evidence.
Starter
No
UV Light
Previously: Glowstick
If used near a ghost interaction, fingerprints and hand prints may be detected, indicating UV Light evidence. The UV Light can also be used to detect footprints if a ghost walks through a salt pile.
Keep in mind that footprints do not indicate UV Light evidence, but they can be photographed to gain XP with a photo camera.
Starter
No
Video Camera
Sends a live feed to the screen in the equipment van. Can indicate ghost orbs and D.O.T.S. projector evidence.
Starter
No
Crucifix
Prevents a ghost from beginning a hunt within its range. Used to achieve objective: prevent the ghost from hunting with a crucifix. Taking a photo of a used crucifix will yield additional XP.
Optional
Consumable
Yes
Firelight
Previously: Candle
When lit, it slows sanity drain and lights the area within its range. Light firelights with igniters.
Optional
Consumable
Tier I - Yes
Tier II - Yes
Tier III - No
Igniter
Previously: Lighter
Lights candles and incense and provides a small diameter of light while lit.
Optional
Consumable
Tier I - Yes
Tier II - Yes
Tier III - No
Incense
Previously: Smudge Sticks
If a ghost enters the incense range while it is burning, ghost activity will increase, and hunts will be unable to begin.
If used during a hunt, it will prevent the ghost from finding or harming players.
Optional
Consumable
Tier I - Yes
Tier II - Yes
Tier III - No
Salt
Some ghosts will leave footprintswhen walking through salt piles. Footprints are detectable with the ultraviolet light, but this does not indicate UV Light evidence.
Optional
Consumable
Yes
Sanity Medication
Previously: Sanity Pills
When taken, increases sanity over a specified timeframe based on the tier. This is recommended to have available when trying to achieve the objective: get an average sanity below 25%.
Optional
Consumable
Yes
Head Gear
Previously: Head Mounted Camera
Wearing this will send a live feed of your view to the equipment van. Upgrading it will add a headlamp and night vision for tiers II and III respectively.
Optional
No
Motion Sensor
If a ghost enters the motion sensor range, the sensor will light up and a sound will play in the van. Placing the sensor on the wall will add it to the location map in your equipment van.
It is necessary to complete the objective: detect a ghost presence with a motion sensor.
Optional
No
Parabolic Microphone
Used to listen for sounds far away while roaming the location. The sounds will include all ghost activity and object interactions.
Necessary to hear the specific sound that only a banshee can make.
Optional
No
Photo Camera
Used to take photos. Taking photos of specific objects, ghosts, and interactions will yield XP. The photo camera is necessary to complete the objective: capture a photo of the ghost.
Optional
No
Sound Sensor
Used to listen in on the range of the sensor from your equipment van. The sounds will include all ghost activity and object interactions.
Optional
No
Tripod
Used to mount a Video Camera. Ghosts can knock it over, but upgrading it allows you to rotate the angle from the safety of your equipment van.
Optional
No
Next: Phasmophobia: Levelling And Prestige, Explained
