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Being able to see a full Escape From Tarkov night vision comparison can be very handy in deciding how far you want to stretch. Due to its strength in Escape From Tarkov, the different night vision options can cost a lot of money, so knowing the differences between each one can help you weigh up how much you want to spend. So, for a full Escape From Tarkov night vision comparison and a list of all the available options, make sure to keep on reading below.
There are currently four main Escape From Tarkov night vision goggles that you can get your hands on, and they come in various different prices, and with varying qualities too. They are as follows:
Beyond this, you can also get your hands on two night vision scopes that can be attached to your weapons:
Finally, while it is not technically a night vision capable device, there is a set of thermal goggles that allow you to see in complete darkness - and much more too. The only issue is that it is ridiculously expensive:
For the rest of the guide, we will be comparing all of these different night vision devices in different scenarios to measure their capabilities, especially in reference to their price points, to give you an idea of what the best Escape From Tarkov night vision option is.
The first, and perhaps most important test case that you can use for an Escape From Tarkov night vision comparison is a situation of complete darkness. Where each night vision device will be allowed to shine is through showing how much detail it can pick up from a scene with no light, and it is also a great way of demonstrating the view limitations of some of the devices too.
The image you can see above will be the constant to measure each night vision goggle against. As you can see, it is pretty dark, and you will struggle to make out anything in the scene apart from the window in the top right. This was tested on Factory at nighttime, in order to capture as little light as possible.
As you can see, the Armasight N-15 night vision goggles handle the scene fairly well, illuminating everything in the frame with the classic green tint. The obvious main limitation of these is the semi-restricted field of view, as there is a clear ‘goggles’ outline around the edges of the frame.
The PNV-10T is largely the same as the N-15, only with a blue tint instead of the famous green. It does perhaps have slightly more visual noise, but that might be down to the colour.
The limitations are clear with the AN/PVS-14 monocular, as you have an extremely limited field of view, with only a small circle of vision available to the player. It does produce a fairly clear image in that small section, but you are leaving the chance of missing so much information that is crucial in a game like Tarkov.
Leaving the best set of goggles for last, the GPNVG-18 is the clear winner of this test, giving you near full visibility, and a crystal clear view of the scene in front of you. It does come at a cost though, being over double the price of the next most expensive set, and is the last one you will unlock the chance to buy.
As a quick look at the two night vision sights, you can see that the Vulcan on the right is clearly the better option of the two. It provides not only a larger image, but a much clearer one, with a stronger separation between the sight and the surrounding environment. One funny thing to note is that both of these sights are advertised as having 3.5x magnification, but this is clearly not the case, with the NSPU-M providing a higher level of zoom than its counterpart.
Although the main reference point for the night vision devices should be how well they light up pitch black environments, you also need to consider how well they react to any light sources in the scene, as that can (and does) act as a deal breaker for a couple of the devices.
Once again, the image above is the scene without night vision that every device will interpret, and the main light source is the light above the doorway.
While the N-15 dealt fairly well with the scene in complete darkness, it cannot handle the light above the door at all. You lose all detail in the middle of the image, leaving a muddled white cloud of nothingness where the door and surrounding area should be. A hard avoid if you think you’re going to encounter a lot of artificial light.
Once again, the story is largely the same for the PNV-10T as it is for the N-15. I would argue that it has dealt with it marginally better as you can see the lower section of the steps, but the light is still causing these goggles a big issue.
Surprisingly, the AN/PVS-14 performs dramatically better than the previous two pairs of goggles. You still get a fair amount of visual distortion around the top of the doorframe, but you would definitely be able to see if someone was there. The downside of the monocular is starting to be compensated for.
It is no surprise that the GPNVG-18 is once again the best of the lot, providing a clear and detailed image, even in direct view of an artificial light. It really is the best all round pair of night vision goggles, that if you can afford it is well worth going for.
Interestingly, the NSPV-M diffuses the harshness of the light significantly better than the Vulcan MG. Furthermore, you could argue that due to the increased magnification of the sight on the left, you are less likely to catch any adjacent lights in your view, and even if you do then the negative effect will be less severe.
Last but certainly not least is the T-7 Thermal goggles, and while they are not technically night vision capable, they do allow you to somewhat see in the dark. The difficult part is that because they are exclusively thermal, they only pick up heat signatures, so don’t react to any incoming light.
This does mean that in the light test there is literally no interference as you can see above, but it also causes all of the weapon sights to be incompatible.
However, it is probably the single most overpowered piece of gear in the game, as it allows you to see any enemy clearly with zero interference, standing out in bright white against the dark brown background. This makes it perfect for night raids where the restricted vision will not let you down, and instead will allow you to pick off foes before they even know you’re there.
Of course, the major downside is that it will set you back over 17 million Roubles - a price that would instil gear fear in even the most confident of PMCs, and is rightfully used almost exclusively in the end of wipe Escape From Tarkov traders event.
So, that completes our Escape From Tarkov night vision comparison guide, giving you a full list of all the different devices in the game, alongside their strengths and weaknesses. If you’re wanting to get your trader levels up in order to get your hands on some of these, make sure to check out our Escape From Tarkov quest order guide.
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