All Escape from Tarkov night vision goggles compared

While any form of night vision goggles can help you out in the pitch black of Escape from Tarkov's nighttime, this comparison will illuminate (quite literally) how big the difference is between the best and the rest.

NVGs can give you such an advantage if used correctly in the game, letting you take down an enemy who had no chance of seeing you. The best of the bunch will cost you an arm and a leg though, so this will help you decide whether the added price is worth it for you.

All night vision goggles & prices

There are currently four night vision goggles, two night vision sights, and one pair of thermal goggles available to use in Escape from Tarkov, and all seven options produce varying results at different price points.

The goggles give you full night-vision capabilities whenever they are enabled, whereas the sights obviously only provide vision in darkness when you are looking through them.

All night vision goggles compared in Escape from Tarkov

We've got images of all the night vision options in the game for you to check out below, so you can see how they perform in both ultra-dark locations and against light too.

This first image in each slideshow is on Factory at night in an area with no artificial light, so without NVGs or sights, the screen would be totally black. The second image, however, shows each NVG looking straight at an artificial light to show how it deals with any potential overexposure.

Armasight N-15

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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.

Unfortunately, encountering any artificial light leaves you in a troublesome position when using the N-15 goggles. It can't handle the light above the door at all, losing all detail in the middle of the image and leaving a muddled white cloud of nothingness where the door and surrounding area should be. These NVGs are hard avoid if you think you’re going to encounter a lot of artificial light.

PNV-10T

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You'll find that the PNV-10T is almost identical to the aforementioned N-15 goggles in all but colour, with the PNV-10T sporting a teal blue instead of the neon green we all typically associate with night vision. There is perhaps a bit more visual noise or grain on the screen - but that could be just the colour difference.

Once again though, the PNV-10T really struggles when faced with direct light, and you will need to be very cautious when using this inside, near buildings, or around players with flashlights.

AN/PVS-14

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I do have a bit of a soft spot for the AN/PVS-14 despite its obvious shortcomings, as it does excel in certain areas if you're confident enough when using it. The biggest clear downside though is the limited field of view, which blacks out most of the screen outside of a small circular view in the centre.

This really isn't great in a game like Escape from Tarkov where you always need to be aware of your surroundings, and will probably lead to your death more than you'd like to admit. It does deal surprisingly well with light though, and the image that it produces is clear - so if you're running a smaller map or sticking to cover then this might be the option for you.

GPNVG-18

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There is no doubt in my mind though that the GPNVG-18 is the best pair of night vision goggles you can use in the game right now, giving you the widest field of vision and the best illumination that you can ask for.

You will have such an advantage when using these goggles, as barely any of the screen is blocked off and there's next to no visual noise that could interfere with your vision. Furthermore, these goggles handle artificial light exceptionally, giving you barely any whiteout areas meaning that you can keep them on in most scenarios.

The only downside is the significant price bump, but if you've got the dollars lying around and want to go all out on a night raid, there's no better option than the GPNVG-18. I love using these in the wilderness of Woods, but they are just as effective when inside the shopping centres of Interchange too.

NSPU-M vs Vulcan MG

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We've also considered the two night vision sights that you can use too - as despite their limited view, they can come in handy if you want to keep the cost low or take a hybrid approach in the early hours of the morning.

The Vulcan MG is better in pretty much every scenario (although the NSPU-M does deal well with lights), nd the price difference between the two certainly reflects that. The NSPU-M comes at a hefty ergonomics cost too, so it's pretty much a meme attachment at this point.

I don't love using night vision sights in my raids, as I'd much rather opt for goggles that I can enable for general use - but the Vulcan is definitely the best option if you don't want to go all the way and simply want some support when aiming in the dark.

T-7 Thermal

Finally, we reach the T-7 Thermal Goggles and they are a unique case when it comes to night vision in Escape from Tarkov. As thermal is completely unaffected by light, they technically give you the ability to see in any level of darkness - with enemies popping up white hot against a dark brown background as clear as day.

They are perhaps the single most overpowered piece of gear in Tarkov, and their astronomical price of 17,000,000₽ certainly reflects that. I've only been able to use them during Trader events when the price is reduced to nothing, and they definitely show their worth.

One caveat though is that you're unable to use optics while the goggles are active, so save yourself some money and go into your raids with iron sights.

You'll now have a much better idea of the different night vision options in Escape from Tarkov, letting you weigh up which one you'll be taking into your next night raid. We've got plenty of other tips and tricks you can follow on our Escape from Tarkov homepage, including all of the best guns and an ammo tier list so you can stay well within the current meta.