When is Phasmophobia Coming to Xbox?
Reviewed by Huzaifa Haroon- Phasmophobia's console release has faced multiple delays due to an office fire in August 2023 and various development challenges.
- As an indie studio, Kinetic Games has struggled with adapting the game for consoles and implementing crossplay, causing further setbacks.
- The console version is still on its way, promising new features like an improved shop, better graphics, and performance tweaks, but no exact release date has been given yet.
Phasmophobia was one of the standout indie horror games of 2020. While many people may remember 2020 for games like Among Us, Fortnite, and other popular multiplayer titles, Phasmophobia was a special treat for horror fans. Released in September 2020 on Steam in Early Access, Phasmophobia has received numerous updates over the years and even supports VR play. Even more impressive is the fact that it was initially developed by a single person.
During the Xbox Showcase Extended 2023 held in July, it was announced that Phasmophobia would be coming to consoles—both PS5 and Xbox Series X/S—with VR compatibility and full crossplay support across all platforms planned for August 2023.
But with June 2024 nearly here, we’re still waiting for Phasmophobia to arrive on consoles. So, what’s causing the lengthy delay? And are we still expecting Phasmophobia on Xbox? Find out below!
What is Phasmophobia?
For those who aren’t familiar with the game and are wondering why there’s such excitement surrounding this hidden horror gem, Phasmophobia is a 4-player co-op horror game developed by Kinetic Games. In the game, you and three other players work together to investigate haunted locations, gather evidence to confirm the presence of ghosts, and decide if a professional ghost removal team is needed for the site.
Teamwork is essential, as anything unusual could be important evidence. You’ll have a variety of ghost-hunting tools at your disposal and multiple locations to explore, which makes Phasmophobia one of the best games to play with friends.
Why’s it Taking So Long for Phasmophobia to Come to Xbox?
Although the console release was originally planned for August 2023, things didn’t go as intended due to a series of setbacks. Let’s go through the timeline to explain why Phasmophobia still hasn’t released on consoles:
August 2023: Office fire at Kinetic Games
On August 24, 2023, the lead developer at Kinetic Games posted a message on the official Discord:
Dear Phasmophobia Community,
First and foremost, we’d like to thank you all for your support and that you are just as excited as we are for the console release.
Due to a recent fire incident in our office building and unexpected development issues, our ability to test and develop has been significantly impacted.
After careful consideration, we have made the tough decision to delay the console release, initially set for August, while we get everything sorted. We are now aiming for a special launch during the week leading up to Halloween this October. This gives us the time we need to perfect and fine-tune everything. Your patience and understanding mean everything to us, and we can’t wait to bring Phasmophobia to consoles.
The Phasmophobia Development Team.
Dknighter, lead developer at Kinetic Games
An office fire is an unfortunate and serious setback, especially for a small indie team like Kinetic Games. Despite this, the team shared that their new aim was for a Halloween 2023 release.
October 2023: Office fire after-effects
Even though Kinetic Games was targeting a Halloween 2023 release, things didn’t go as planned. On October 17, 2023, they released an update to the game on Steam, and also announced another delay for the console versions. They explained that the effects of the office fire were more serious than expected, and transitioning to remote work had proven to be very challenging.
Phasmophobia began as a project by a solo developer, and only after gaining popularity did it turn into a small team effort. Additionally, Kinetic Games mentioned they were facing challenges developing the PSVR2 version of the game.
January 2024: Indefinite delay, but with a silver lining
On January 3, 2024, Kinetic Games shared a roadmap on Steam outlining planned updates for the year. While revealing their upcoming features and changes, Kinetic Games put the console version of Phasmophobia on an indefinite delay, stating, “We’re still hard at work trying to get this ready for you eager console players, and it’ll arrive as soon as it’s ready.”
While this was certainly disappointing for fans, there is some good news. Kinetic Games confirmed that the console versions will launch with the following improvements:
- A new and improved shop, which was recently released on PC.
- Adjusted leveling, equipment tiers, and various balance changes.
- Graphics and performance optimizations to ensure the console version closely matches the PC experience.
Reviewed by Huzaifa Haroon
