Phasmophobia is one of the latest and best entries in the horror genre. This indie title relies on constructing solid multiplayer experiences for any ghost hunter, with no small amount of frightening moments. The game also dominated the YouTube and Twitch scenes, with plenty of streamers taking to the game’s abandoned houses and places to showcase how fantastic Phasmophobia can be.
If you are looking to enhance your experience, you might want to consider playing in VR. There aren’t enough horror games that exploit this relatively new and exciting technology, especially ones that have a co-op focus, so think about a few factors if you want to jump in.
10 Better: Live The Haunting
Almost every VR game comes with better immersive characteristics. That is one of VR’s inherent qualities: you are not just playing a game, you are in the game. Depending on what you may be playing, VR can boost different aspects of your gameplay.
When it comes to Phasmophobia, one of the current best multiplayer horror games, its scare-factor is greatly amplified by VR. You will notice a stark difference between playing with a keyboard and playing in VR while exploring the game’s locations. Don’t miss the opportunity if you own a headset.
9 Worse: Prone To Spooks? Beware!
Sometimes horror games get too intense for some players. They are a fun exercise in building up courage, but they can also be a less fun exercise for your, temporarily, clean set of pants. Jokes aside, Phasmophobia gets insanely scary in VR.
The mere fact that you are looking for a ghost should be enough of a warning, if you find horror generally discomforting. You will be scared, you might even scream. If that’s too much to handle, try to ease yourself into the VR experience.
8 Better: Equipment Becomes More Organic
When you pick up an object in a videogame, you notice a clear disconnect between your hands (holding the controller) and the object your character is holding. In VR, your hands are the controller, so interacting with objects feels a great deal more personal.
Phasmophobia supports a surprisingly flushed-out equipment usage system in VR. When you walk down a hallway with a Ouija Board, you are not just looking at you character holding it as if it were a flat pizza box. You are actually walking with a Ouija Board, and if you are not careful you might drop your precious flashlight.
7 Worse: Learning Controls Takes Practice
Just like anything concerning new videogames, playing Phasmophobia in VR can feel hard at first, especially since you might not know how to open your journal or interact with certain objects.
You should take advantage of the game’s control remapping functionality, allowing you to rebind buttons on your motion controllers to fit your preferences. You should also keep in mind that holding two objects in your hands prevents you from interacting with other items and opening doors (be extra careful with the latter, since you need to escape ghosts).
6 Better: Play With Friends Who Don’t Have VR
Phasmophobia is one of the best games to play with friends, whether they have VR or not, which makes it even better. You can find some great horror games that support VR, but you might have a hard time finding multiplayer ones that do.
This is great also if you don’t have VR and are simply looking to play with someone who does. Splitting the VR and desktop players would have undoubtedly hurt the game’s player base. Phasmophobia set a good example for any future game planning to have VR and multiplayer modes.
5 Worse: Your Gameplay Might Become Excessively Funny
Depending on whether you are liable to act like a doofus while playing in VR, gameplay might become funnier than it should. This is especially true if you enjoy playing with someone else. The combination of VR and friends is an excellent one that can produce plenty of silly moments.
If, for some reason, you do not want to break the game’s general ominous ambiance, refrain from taking pictures of your friends — it’s simply too tempting to waste your precious resources to fool around in VR.
4 Better: Wide VR Support
Your mind might already be made. You know you want to see what Phasmophobia is like in VR. But can your headset work with it? Luckily, you can check the game’s Steam page to verify if your gear is compatible. Currently, Phasmophobia supports Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Valve Index, and Windows Mixed Reality.
If you already own a headset, chances are you have one version of the ones listed above. Alternatively, you can keep this information in mind in case you want to shop for one and plan to play Phasmophobia with it.
3 Worse: Highlights Rough Textures
Even the top VR games come with a handful of rough edges here and there. Unfortunately, being able to examine walls, items, and just about anything else up close, automatically highlights the imperfections within a given texture.
Considering Phasmophobia is an indie title and not a AAA game by a big studio, a degree of imperfection is warranted when it comes to graphics. That’s not to say the graphics are bad, they are surprisingly good, in fact. However, be prepared to notice some interesting details in the ghosts’ faces while playing in VR.
2 Better: VR Adds Value The Game
The VR treatment found in Phasmophobia greatly improves any player’s overall experience with game. The best part about this is that you only need to purchase this title once, to reap the benefits of being able to play with either your desktop or VR headset.
This adds value to the money you spend to purchase this game, whose price tag is currently sitting at a low $13.99. Free VR support coupled with both a great multiplayer and single player modes is an extremely good deal. Phasmophobia is more than worth its price, and VR greatly contributes to this.
1 Worse: Play Too Long And Tire Your Eyes
Every game played in VR comes with one inherent caveat: playing too long can tire your eyes, and even make you feel dizzy at times. The more the play, the better adjusted you will become. It takes some getting used to it, though.
Make sure you give yourself regular breaks when playing Phasmophobia (or any other game) in VR. Nothing is worse than having to quit playing a game because you are feeling off. Ensure that doesn’t happen to you, it’s worth it even for a shorter play session.
NEXT: The 15 Best Indie Horror Video Games Of All Time, According To Metacritic
