Airsoft is a competitive shooting sport played by teams either indoors or outdoors. This is a vital training exercise for Police and Military forces to improve their combat skills in hostile situations. It provides a realistic experience of shooting where small plastic pallets hit players without causing injuries. Therefore, it is challenging and safe.
In airsoft gaming, you need proper airsoft equipment. Night vision and a thermal scope are good add-ons to make shooting easier and more accurate. These devices allow easy object detection in low light conditions. Though both of them do the same job, you must know which one acts better in airsoft gaming. It’s a common question and every airsoft enthusiast should know the exact answer.
Let’s see who wins the debate. But before that, we’ll cover the basics of each technology.
How Night Vision Scopes Work
Night vision scopes use image enhancement technology. These devices are commonly known as night vision devices or NVDs.
The image intensifier tube is one of the main components here. This technology largely depends upon ambient light sources like starlight, moonlight, and other natural light. When there is no light, the built-in infrared (IR) illuminator works as a light source.
The intensifier tube receives light to process and amplifies it until you can see more clearly. The output images are intensified thousands of times than the received ones, so viewers get brighter images. Usually, this technology creates greenish pictures and provides greater magnification than thermal ones.
Night vision scopes are available in various generations. The higher the generation, the brighter the images and performances will be.
How Thermal Scopes Work
Unlike night vision scopes, thermal imagers measure the heat radiation of the object and render the images accordingly. Thermal imaging technology works in the long-infrared (9 to 14 micrometers) area of the electromagnetic band. Usually, the images are black and white or a combination of various colors depending upon the devices.
Thermal scopes use infrared sensors and detect temperature differences to create images. The image quality depends on the amount of objects’ temperature. Warm objects produce more radiation hence deep images than cooler objects.
Whether targets hide or camouflage in the area or there are natural obstacles like fog, smoke, or dust, thermal scopes can deal with them.
Thermal vs. Night Vision Scope – What to Choose for Airsoft Gaming
Target Identification
Thermal scopes are good for easy object detection but can’t recognize and identify objects exactly. With these devices, you can’t distinguish between friend and enemy.
But top-notch night vision scopes can deal with object recognition well. They produce high-resolution images. Using, the night vision scopes mentioned by Expert Night Vision, you can easily identify who is in front of you. This will help you shoot your enemies when airsoft gaming at night.
So, the thermal scope is a good choice when object spotting is your main purpose. Alternatively, night vision is a must for target recognition. So, night vision wins here.
Day and Night Use
If you want to get an airsoft scope that works day and night simultaneously, thermal scopes will be the most convenient option. Thermal scopes work based on heat detection, so you can use them day or night, there is no significant difference. And they can cope with fog, smoke, and dust better than NVDs.
On the other hand, night vision scopes are light sensitive. This is why most of them perform only at night time. They can’t work in the day, since bright light can damage them permanently. However, some newly emerged devices called digital night vision scopes can work in the daytime also.
Price and Durability
Budget consideration is another important choosing factor between thermal vs night vision scopes. Most of the thermal scopes are pricier than night vision scopes. But the higher generations NVDs are also costly.
Night vision scopes and thermal scopes are both durable products. They are shock-resistant, rain, fog, and waterproof. So, you can easily use them in any harsh weather conditions. But thermal scopes are superior in this case and worth the money.
Final Thoughts
The right scope will make your airsoft shooting more accurate and enjoyable. You shouldn’t overlook thermal scopes and night vision scopes when you are playing airsoft in low-light or dark situations. Since these devices help you out to be a pro shooter under challenging situations.
We hope, after reading this article, you now understand the basic difference between those devices. Once you get the perfect scope according to your situation, attach it to your airsoft gun and find your target more easily.
