There are (21) types of equipment, also known as gear, that investigators can bring along to a contract, with 8 of these known collectively as "starter items". The equipment tier has no bearing on this classification, and in most cases, the Tier III model is superior to the Tier II model.

The Tier III Crucifix, unlocked at Lvl 80 and costs $20,000 for the item upgrade, is an improvement over the Tier II model by having a greater range of 5 meters and the ability to use both charges to block a Cursed Hunt attempt.

This is one of the last upgrades and one of the most expensive; it is useful as it blocks a Cursed Hunt attempt, but isn't a priority for me if I have dwindling funds. However if you play larger maps then the extra meter of range can be incredibly important.

The Tier III D.O.T.S Projector, unlocked at Lvl 49 and costs $3,000 for the item upgrade, is an improvement over the Tier II model by having a much greater range of 7 meters, acting as a wide spotlight, and by default automatically rotates to cover a much wider area.

If you are playing on small maps, this may not be a high priority, and the sound effect when it rotates can be distracting and annoying. However, if you are playing medium or large maps, this can be an invaluable upgrade and should be a priority.

The Tier III EMF Readeer, unlocked at Lvl 46 and costs $4,500 for the item upgrade, is an improvement over the Tier II model by being able to track multiple EMF signatures at once, points towards the direction of each signature and has a longer range of 3.5 meters.

This is one of my top priorities for upgrades, even on small maps especially given its moderate upgrade cost.

ELECTRONIC

The Tier III Firelight, unlocked at Lvl 75 and costs $10,000 for the item upgrade, is an improvement over the Tier II model since it has unlimited duration, is waterproof (can stay lit in the rain), and reduces sanity drain by 66%.

This can be a bit of an expensive upgrade that's unlocked a bit later but even just one of its improvements would be worth the price. It might be as much of a priority if you play exclusively indoor small maps but it's invaluable for outdoor maps like Camp Woodwind or large maps where you want to reduce your sanity drain by as much as possible.

NOT ELECTRONIC

The Tier III Flashlight, unlocked at Lvl 34 and costs $3,000 for the item upgrade, is an improvement over the Tier II model by having greater intensity and a wider spotlight.

While this is a fairly early and cheap Tier III upgrade, it's rarely a priority for me. If you play a lot of larger maps, this is far more useful but is overkill on most small maps.

ELECTRONIC when turned on.

The Tier III Ghost Writing Book, unlocked at Lvl 55 and costs $3,000 for the item upgrade, is an improvement over the Tier II model by increasing the range to 5 meters and increasing the interaction rate.

I don't usually put this as a priority upgrade, especially on small maps, but if you play a lot of medium or large maps this is a pretty cheap upgrade that'll help in larger spaces.

The Tier III Headgear, unlocked at Lvl 80 and costs $10,000 for the item upgrade, is both an improvement on the Tier II model with additional functionality. It provides night vision goggles which can be useful for stumbling around in the dark and spotting hard-to-find objects such as the bone.

This is both a later and expensive upgrade which I wouldn't prioritize if you are playing small and medium maps with the lights on. However, if you are playing maps where location lights still leave fairly dark rooms then I'd prioritize it especially if you are trying to find the bone to achieve a perfect investigation.

ELECTRONIC

The Tier III Igniter, unlocked at Lvl 52 and costs $750 for the item upgrade, is an improvement over the Tier II model by doubling the duration to 10 minutes and making it waterproof.

This is a pretty cheap upgrade so that's not really a reason not to take it, its even more useful on outdoor maps where rain would interfere with other models.

The Tier III Incense is unlocked at Lvl 80 and costs costs $15,000 for the item upgrade. It's an improvement by the Tier II model by having a longer duration of 7 seconds and stopping the ghost during the effect's duration instead of merely slowing it down.

The duration of 7 seconds is, arguably, an improvement although stopping the ghost may not be during on the circumstances. This is a pretty late and expensive upgrade so it's usefulness really depends on your perferences and playstyle.

he Tier III Motion Sensor, unlocked at Lvl 70 and costs $8,000 for the item upgrade, changes the functionality of the item by making it only floor placeable, giving it an omnidirectional range of 1.5 meters and lastly only triggerable by the ghost and "air ball". It also triggers when the ghost leaves its range by pointing towards the direction of the ghost and only giving a visual cue.

This is a bit of a pricey upgrade but the fact its omnidirectional and can no longer be triggered by the player making it pretty valuable. If you find yourself using motion sensors a good deal then this is a very useful upgrade.

ELECTRONIC but doesn't lead the Ghost to a player but does empower a Raiju.

The Tier III Parabolic Microphone, unlocked at Lvl 70 and costs $5,000 for the item upgrade, is an improvement over the Tier II model by providing direction in addition to distance and volume.

This upgrade's only real improvement is distance but doesn't actually increase the range from the Tier II model. It certainly has its uses but isn't a big priority for me unless I plan on using the parabolic microphone a lot.

ELECTRONIC

The Tier III Photo Camera, unlocked at Lvl 55 and costs $5,000 for the item upgrade, is an improvement over the Tier I model by reducing the time between photos to 1 second and increasing resistance to paranormal interference.

The chances to Media makes it more important to get unique photos than taking multiple photos greatly -- however if you fail to get the right photo it makes it all the easier to take another photo.

ELECTRONIC

The Tier III Salt, unlocked at Lvl 65 and costs $5,000 for the item upgrade, gives it two additional abilities. The first is the Ghost will reverse direction when it disturbs it and during a hunt it'll also slow down the Ghost for 2 seconds.

The usefulness of the new abilities is debatable as I rarely use them, which usually means I don't usually prioritize this upgrade. However, if you have difficulties with hunts, then it gives you another item to ward off a chasing ghost.

NOT ELECTRONIC

The Tier III Sanity Medication, unlocked at Lvl 75 and costs $5,000 for the item upgrade, is an improvement over the Tier I model by adding an ability which
gives 10 seconds of stamina-free sprinting.

The sprinting effect can be useful, especially during hunts, and allows for sprinting on
custom difficulties even when sprinting is turned off. The importance of this upgrade
depends on how much you intend its sprinting ability.

NOT ELECTRONIC

The Tier III Sound Recorder is unlocked at Lvl 60 and costs $5,000 for the item upgrade. It's an improvement over the Tier II model by providing a display screen indicating the distance and direction of recordable sounds.

The upgrade doesn't further improve the range but distance and direction can make it a good tool for tracking the Ghost. If you're playing on medium or large maps or if you have difficulty getting good sound recording this can be a worthwhile upgrade.

ELECTRONIC ITEM that can be turned on or off to avoid detection.

The Tier III Sound Sensor, unlocked at Lvl 52 and costs $1,500 for the item upgrade, is an improvement over the Tier II model by providing three different directions (cone, sides, and sphere) along with 3 different ranges of 5, 10, and 15 meters.

The Sound Sensor is probably the least used piece of equipment so the upgrade may not be worth it for most players. However if you find yourself relying on the Sound Sensor then the pretty cheap upgrade may be worth it for you.

The Tier III Spirit Box, unlocked at Lvl 46 and costs $3,000 for the item upgrade, is an improvement over the Tier II model by increasing the range from 4 to 5 meters, increasing the response rate and audio quality even further.

I don't feel it's a priority upgrade if you primarily play on small maps but it's extremely important for larger rooms on medium and large maps.

ELECTRONIC

The Tier III Thermometer, unlocked at Lvl 36 and costs $3,000 for the item upgrade, is an improvement over the Tier II model by increasing accuracy and sample speed.

If you play on small maps this isn't much of an upgrade although it is an early upgrade and the price tag is relatively cheap. This is more useful if you need to check a large number of rooms on medium and large maps which is made easier by the faster sample speed.

ELECTRONIC

The Tier III Tripod, unlocked at Lvl 60 and costs $3,000 for the item upgrade, is an improvement over the Tier II model by adding more stability.

The only improvement is more stability, useful on medium and large maps where the trek back to fix a fallen tripod is worth the upgrade.

NOT ELECTRONIC even though technically it has an electric motor.

The Tier III UV Light, unlocked at Lvl 46 and costs $2,000 for the item upgrade, similar to the Type I is a electronic device but charges up in 1.5 seconds instead of 5 seconds and acts as a wide spotlight.

This isn't much of a priority unless you need more light and charge up handprints more quickly -- more useful on larger maps but otherwise the Tier II model is my preferred UV light.

ELECTRONIC

The Tier III Video Camera, unlocked at Lvl 49 and costs $3,000 for the item upgrade, is an improvement over the Tier II model by being larger and shoulder mounted but providing a much better display with high image quality and high paranormal resistance.

It's a pretty reasonable upgrade which can help especially if you are using the video camera in the dark. If you have trouble spotting things to record, such as Ghost Orbs, then the upgrade should be a priority.

ELECTRONIC

The Tier III upgrades are unlocked between Level 34 and 80 and your priorities for item upgrades may differ from other players but I hope this guide gave you enough information to make informed decisions about how to spend your money on item upgrades.

“Equipment.” Phasmophobia Wiki, phasmophobia.fandom.com/wiki/Equipment.