Hero image: Phasmophobia, work in progress. Image: Kinetic Games
Phasmophobia‘s next update is not one update but two. Kinetic Games has folded its move to the Unity 6 engine and its next content update into a single release called Resonance — and it is due in late November.
The detail is in Development Preview #22, posted to Steam on Monday. Kinetic says shipping its summer’s work at different times “was looking unreasonable, both for us and you”, so it packaged the two together. Here is what the post says is in it, and what has been held back.
The engine move
Unity 6 is the part most players will feel without seeing. The studio describes it as focused on “Phasmophobia’s stability, performance and improving the overall experience for Ghost Hunters”, and as a futureproofing exercise ahead of version 1.0.
Kinetic says many reported bugs are already fixed in the Unity 6 version, including some of the more common crashes, and promises “lots – and we do mean lots – of bug fixes”, with patch notes on release. It expects improvements to CPU, GPU, VRAM and RAM use, and fixes for memory leaks, but says it can only truly judge the gain once players have the update.
The engine also allows better lighting, new graphics presets, an extreme shadow quality setting and Eye Adaptation for VR. Eight colour-blindness options are listed, from Protanopia to Achromatomaly.
Talking to the ghost
The content side changes how investigations play. Icons on the Sound Sensor’s map will show whether a sound loops or pings once, only sounds on the same floor will register, and the map can be used to judge a ghost type by how fast it moves — which the post says will be especially useful during a Hunt.
Voice Recognition gets new commands, asking the ghost to interact with doors and switches, throw objects or give a sign of its presence. They also work for players using Text mode, and VR players in Text mode get them on the Sanity watch. A new Journal page lists the usable phrases — “no more shouting into the void in the hope you get it right!”
Map selection changes too. Players will be able to pick as many maps as they like to build their own random pool, with quick buttons for small, medium and large maps.
Warnings before bans
Resonance also adds an in-game warning for players found to have broken the Code of Conduct, instead of an immediate ban, unless the behaviour is severe enough to warrant one. Players will also be told when one of their reports has led to action.
And Phasmophobia joins Xbox Play Anywhere, so an Xbox copy can be played on PC, laptops, ROG Ally and Xbox Series X|S.
What has been held back
The Player Character Visual Update — over 30 new cosmetics, each with colour and texture variants, plus a reworked Customisation Shop — was meant to ship in Resonance. Kinetic says it needs more time and will share a date later. A rework of 42 Edgefield Road is due later this year, and 1.0 is targeted for late 2027.
Kinetic describes itself on its own site as “a truly independent UK studio”, and it is both developer and publisher on Steam, where the game was A$29.50 in Australia this morning.
Source: Kinetic Games – Phasmophobia: Development Preview #22 (Steam), Kinetic Games, Steam – Phasmophobia