Phasmophobia Releases New Update for February 2025 (2025)

Phasmophobia has released a new patch that adds voice recognition for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S players, giving fans a creepy new way to interact with ghosts in the paranormal investigation survival game. While communication with other players is key in Phasmophobia, the immersion level of its haunted locations is about to get a lot more intense for those on console.

Though still listed on Steam as an early access title, Phasmophobia has been around since September 2020, tasking solo players or teams of up to four with identifying the types of spirits haunting various sites. With its creepy aesthetic and team-based play, Phasmophobia quickly became a Twitch sensation, as viewers packed live streams to see what horrors awaited players brave enough to dive into its haunts.

The game was ported to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S two days before Halloween 2024, and a new update now allows players on consoles to converse directly with ghosts using VOSK Voice Recognition software. Using Phasmophobia's Spirit Box, players are now able to vocally ask ghosts questions rather than just selecting from an onscreen list, putting console versions on par with the original PC version. Players can also call out the ghost by name to increase the amount of observable paranormal activity for a short time, and they can integrate the voice recognition feature in various ways when using Curse Possessions.

Setting up voice recognition will work differently depending on the console used. The PS5 DualSense controller already comes equipped with a built-in microphone that can be used if players want to avoid putting on a compatible headset, and the PlayStation VR2 built-in mic is also supported by the update. Xbox players, however, will have to rely on a headset. Regardless of the console, players wanting to take advantage of the new console feature will need to open up the game options from the main menu and switch Voice Recognition Mode to Voice rather than Text. The patch notes reveal that for the Xbox version only, the game will automatically revert to Text mode if the microphone becomes disconnected during play.

While the voice recognition feature — which currently supports English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, and Japanese — is the main attraction, there are also a few bugs in Phasmophobia that this patch addresses. The most important among these is a bug that had been preventing Xbox Series X/S players from earning any achievements when playing the game solo in offline mode, which has now been fixed with the newest update.

Phasmophobia v0.11.1.2 Patch Notes

Voice Recognition in Phasmophobia allows Ghost Hunters to:

• Utilise the Spirit Box by speaking phrases such as ‘‘Are you friendly?’’ and "Give us a sign" to communicate with the ghost.
• Use Curse Possessions such as the Ouija Board to interact with the ghost and the Monkey Paw.
• Say the ghost’s name or other recognisable phrases near the ghost to be provided with a chance to increase the ghost’s activity for a short time.

At release, the below language are supported for Voice Recognition. We will be implementing a full range of languages in the next update for Phasmophobia:

• English
• French
• Italian
• German
• Spanish
• Brazilian Portuguese
• Japanese

Below you’ll find a run-through on how to make sure Voice Recognition is set up correctly on your console, as well as accompanying patch notes.

Voice Recognition Setup

Setup for Xbox

• Connect a compatible headset to your console, either via the controller jack or wirelessly if your headset supports it, such as the Xbox Wireless Gaming Headset.
• From the Main Menu, navigate to game options in the journal and set ‘Voice Recognition Mode’ to ‘Voice’.
• If the microphone becomes disconnected during game play, the game will default to the TEXT option until microphone is reconnected.

Setup for PlayStation

• The PS5 DualSense features a built-in microphone which can be used, or players are able to use another supported headset if connected to your console.
• PS VR2 players are also able to use the headset’s built-in microphone.
• From the Main Menu, navigate to game options in the journal and set ‘Voice Recognition Mode’ to ‘Voice’.

Patch Notes

New

• Implemented VOSK Voice Recognition for players on PlayStation 5, PS VR2 and Xbox Series X/S.
• Added a loading icon to the splash screen to help diagnose loading issues

Changes

• Voice recognition modes have been reworded for better in game translation
• VOSK has been changed to Voice
• Windows Voice has been changed to System Voice

Fixes

• Fixed an issue preventing some Xbox players from receiving achievements while offline
• Various Localisation adjustments
• Various other fixes

Success!

Phasmophobia

Phasmophobia is a 4-player, online co-op, psychological horror game. You and your team of paranormal investigators will enter haunted locations filled with paranormal activity and try to gather as much evidence as you can. Use your ghost-hunting equipment to find and record evidence to sell on to a ghost removal team.

Immersive Experience:Realistic graphics and sounds as well as a minimal user interface ensure a totally immersive experience that will keep you on your toes.

Unique Ghosts:Identify over 20 different ghost types, each with unique traits, personalities, and abilities to make each investigation feel different from the last.

Equipment:Use well-known ghost-hunting equipment such as EMF Readers, Spirit Boxes, Thermometers, and Night Vision Cameras to find clues and gather as much paranormal evidence as you can. Find Cursed Possessions that grant information or abilities in exchange for your sanity.

Full Voice Recognition:The Ghosts are listening! Use your actual voice to interact with the Ghosts through Ouija Boards and EVP Sessions using a Spirit Box.

Locations:Choose from over 10 different haunted locations, each with unique twists, hiding spots, and layouts.

Game Modes:With 5 default difficulties and hand crafted weekly challenges, there are plenty of ways to test your skills.

Teamwork:Dive in head first, get your hands dirty searching for evidence while fighting for your life. If you're not feeling up to the task, play it safe and support your team from the truck by monitoring the investigation with CCTV and motion sensors.

Custom Difficulty:Create your own games to tailor the difficulty to your or your group's needs, with proportional rewards and come up with crazy game modes of your own!

Co-operate:Play alongside your friends with up to 4 players in this co-op horror where teamwork is key to your success.

Play together:Phasmophobia supports all players together, play with your friends with any combination of input types.

Survival Horror

Puzzle

Systems

OpenCritic Reviews

Top Critic Rating: 76/100 Critics Recommend: 58%

Released

October 29, 2024

ESRB

T For Teen // Blood, Use of Drugs, Violence

Developer(s)

Kinetic Games

Publisher(s)

Kinetic Games

Platform(s)

PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S

Multiplayer

Online Co-Op

Engine

Unity

How Long To Beat

36.5 hours (solo) / 28 hours (co-op) / 33 hours (vs.)

Steam Deck Compatibility

Verified

PS Plus Availability

N/A

Supported VR Headsets

PlayStation VR 2 Headset

Number of Players

4

OpenCritic Rating

Strong

Early Access Release

September 18, 2020

PC Release Date

September 18, 2020

PS5 Release Date

October 29, 2024

Xbox Series X|S Release Date

October 29, 2024

PSVR2 Release Date

October 29, 2024

See at Steam