Phasmophobia basic equipment: check Tier I activation, placement, and reactions
Check Tier I starter equipment through power, placement, and readings. Covers purchase versus loadout addition, Crucifix and Incense requirements, and room/distance/recognition checks when reactions fail.
Edition: PC Steam app 739630, standard release, no mods. First example: standard Amateur settings, three evidence, Tier I starter equipment, keyboard/mouse. Solo and co-op for up to four; Voice/Text recognition addressed separately. VR, consoles, Custom, and weekly challenges are not treated as identical conditions.
Verification scope: Official standard v0.19.0.2, dated September 16, 2026, checked October 4, 2026. Incorporates v0.18.0.1 equipment bindings and v0.19.0.0 shared Journal displays. The event update scheduled for October 6 and planned 1.0 are not treated as already implemented. Equipment details use public-source checks, not exhaustive gameplay testing.
Sources checked: 2026-10-04
21 / 21 rows
Buying, bringing, and holding are separate actions
One of each basic evidence tool is included in the contract. For extra quantities or optional equipment, check lobby purchases separately from adding items in equipment management.
- Select required equipment in the lobby Shop. Check stock, unlock conditions, and price, then buy.
- Open Equipment Manager, select the desired Tier tile, and add with +. Inventory count alone does not mean it is loaded on the truck.
- Check team totals and who uses each tool. Extra starter equipment is not automatically supplied per player.
- After contract start, take equipment from the truck wall with E. Switch using Q/wheel or 1–3; distinguish right-click Primary Use from F placement.
Reaching a level does not complete every step for a higher Tier. Check upgrade purchase and selected loadout Tier. This uses Tier I and does not list every higher-Tier unlock level.
For starter equipment, check the active indicator
Prices are standard reference costs for one additional purchase, separate from the initial free unit. Ranges are Tier I values, not unconditional whole-room coverage.
Wide tables scroll horizontally.
| Equipment | Requirement | Activation/placement | Indicator to read | Tier/limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flashlight | Starter supply; $30 extra | Use the held flashlight / toggle with special action T | Is the area ahead illuminated? | Held in the left hand. Does not stop Sanity drain in darkness. |
| EMF Reader | Starter supply; $45 extra | Right-click ON, bring near a touched object | Tier I uses a needle. Look for a clear reaction beyond 5. | Range 1.7 m. Do not treat event/hunt interference as evidence. |
| Thermometer | Starter supply; $30 extra | Tier I needs no power. Wait in the room and read it. | Red liquid column and scale | Slow response with fluctuations; differs from Tier II/III hold-to-measure operation |
| UV Light | Starter supply; $35 extra | Right-click ON and illuminate recently touched surfaces | UV-revealed handprints/fingerprints/footprints | Tier I is a narrow-beam electronic light. Glowstick is Tier II. |
| Spirit Box | Starter supply; $50 extra | Right-click ON. Ask by Voice/select through Text. | Tier I: response audio and white indication | 3 m, same room, room lights OFF; check alone condition |
| Ghost Writing Book | Starter supply; $40 extra | Hold F for an open placement preview, position, then release | Writing on open pages | Range 3 m. Merely dropping it closed with G is insufficient. |
| D.O.T.S. Projector | Starter supply; $65 extra | Right-click ON, aim/place with F | Ghost shape crossing green dots | Narrow 5 m beam. Distinguish from green-lit teammates. |
| Video Camera | Starter supply; $50 extra | Open the screen outside the truck; right-click for night vision. Set framing and place with F. | Small floating particles on screen; truck footage | Tier I has low image quality/interference resistance. Recording is a separate hold-use action. |
No matching entries in this table. Shorten the query or clear it to restore all entries.
Do not import another game's battery-replacement action just because a light fails. For these starter tools, first check power, holding, placement, and interference.
After putting it down, check placement state and framing
For F placement, aim at the floor or table to show a translucent preview, then place on the intended surface. Surfaces and orientations differ by equipment; confirm it can measure, not just how it looks.
- Book: place with its open preview and confirm pages face upward. Pick it up again if closed.
- D.O.T.S.: power it on and check the beam covers a passage or active area. Reposition if it only lights a wall.
- Camera: set the shooting direction before F placement. Confirm the intended room is visible from the truck and NV works.
- If truck footage shows another room, select the correct camera. Use REC to save recordings, distinguishing recording from monitoring.
- Box: first hold it and check power and Text questions. From current 0.19 onward, Text works while it is not held too, but lighting, same-room, and distance conditions still apply.
Cameras can black out when clipping into walls. If this happens near a wall, move away and reframe. Also distinguish actions tested inside the truck from ones effective on site.
Separate prevention tools from escape tools
These are additional tools, not assumed available from the start. Check in-game unlocks and stock before adding them.
Wide tables scroll horizontally.
| Equipment | Requirement | Action and success check | Tier I limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crucifix | Level 7, $30 extra, added to loadout | Use F preview to check range and place near activity. Check burning after use. | Normal radius 3 m/one use. Prevents starts, not active hunts. Ghost-specific range exceptions exist. |
| Incense | Level 14, $15 extra; also carrying an igniter | Hold Incense and light with Primary Use. Once smoke appears, move to your escape route during the effect. | Consumed on use. Being lit alone does not prove the ghost was affected. |
| Igniter | Check purchase/unlock and carry with Incense | Selectable with PC 4. Check remaining uses. | Watch Tier I uses/consumption. Incense alone cannot ignite itself. |
| Salt | Level 8, $15 extra | Place on floor with F; after it is stepped in, check nearby surfaces with UV | Tier I has two uses. The salt depression itself is not UV evidence. |
No matching entries in this table. Shorten the query or clear it to restore all entries.
A Crucifix is not a shield covering wherever you stand. The ghost starting the hunt must be within effective range. Incense does not end the hunt either; keep evading if the exit remains locked.
Isolate causes of no response one at a time
Check settings and placement before waiting indefinitely in danger without a response.
Wide tables scroll horizontally.
| No-response symptom | Target/settings/remaining-use check | Action to try | Exception |
|---|---|---|---|
| EMF does not move | Power and recent interaction location | Turn ON and approach a moved object | Low reactions are search clues, not Level 5 evidence |
| Cannot find thermometer power switch | Tier I red liquid column? | Wait for reading changes without a power action | Higher Tiers use different controls |
| UV reveals only salt | Floor outside salt and immediate footprints | Illuminate footprints around the stepped-in salt | Do not confirm Ultraviolet from the depression alone |
| Box does not respond | Power, Voice/Text, room lights, people present | Try a Text question and change position in the room | A red reaction is not a white response |
| Book is closed | Dropped with G or placed with F? | Pick up and place open through F preview | Failure to write alone does not rule it out |
| D.O.T.S. only glows green | Illuminated space and orientation | Redirect across a path and check by camera too | Light itself is not evidence |
| Video screen is black | Inside the truck or overlapping a wall? | Take it on site and hold/place away from walls | v0.19.0.1 fixed several black-screen issues |
| Hunt despite a Crucifix | Remaining uses, starting position, floor, and range | Evade once it starts. Review placement next time. | Do not assume Tier I prevents cursed hunts or similar exceptions |
| Incense will not light | Igniter carried/remaining uses | Reselect Incense and light with Primary Use | Used-up Incense cannot be reused |
No matching entries in this table. Shorten the query or clear it to restore all entries.
Frequently asked questions
Must I buy a full starter set again for every player?
One of each basic starter tool is included in a contract. Add extras if teammates need the same tool simultaneously or optional equipment is needed. View purchased stock separately from truck loadout quantity.
Is Tier I UV a glowstick?
Current Tier I is a narrow-beam UV light. Glowstick is Tier II, so do not reuse old Tier I instructions saying to shake it brighter.
Will carrying a Crucifix protect me during a hunt?
It does not stop a hunt already started. It prevents a start when the ghost is within range. Once a hunt starts, move to your escape route and check electronics and voice.
Does Text stop working when I put Spirit Box on the floor?
From current v0.19.0.0 onward, Text can operate a Box that is not held. Room lights, people present, and distance requirements still apply. First testing question prompts while holding it helps isolate problems.