Modern Warfare 2 Prestige Edition Night Vision Goggles (NVG) Comprehensive Review

Intro

We all know that Infinity Ward released the Prestige Edition of Modern Warfare 2, and everybody is wondering if the extras would be worth the $150 price tag. I have spent a lot of time playing with my pair and they are WAY above expectations and I am blown away by how well they function. Many people calculated that the night vision goggles would only cost ~$80 since the game itself and other extras were ~$70. Since even the most modest night vision goggles (NVG)on the market today cost more than $300, most people cast the NVG's as a cheap display item, at best. If you were like me, then you probably tried to find additional information on the goggles, to see some detailed reviews and pictures. Well, a satisfactory one that discusses the NVG's in detail doesn't exist, so I took up the cause.

How Night Vision Works

First you have to know and understand the technology behind NVG's. The basic concept behind NVG's is to use limited light and boost the signal so that it can be viewed clearly. The light stimulates the movement of electrons inside the NVG assembly. This step transforms the light image into an electron signal. The signal is then amplified by thousands of times when the electrons bump into other electrons and cause a cascade effect. A special screen made up of phosphors at the end lights up when electrons hit it, which generates the image. (These are the sheer basics of night vision technology, and It's simplified for brevity's sake)

How MW2 Goggles Work

The way the MW2 goggles work is through detecting infrared light. Any digital camera can see infrared light, even though our eyes cannot. If you have a digital camera or camcorder at home, you can see this phenomenon. Take any type of remote control (TV, VCR, DVD) as long as it has the led in the front and point it at your camera while pressing some buttons on the remote. You should see a bright light that your naked eyes cannot. This is the basis that the MW2 goggles work on. They have a ring of about 7 infrared LED's on the side, that act like a giant infrared flashlight. Then, what amounts to basically a camcorder mounted on the front shows you an image that is lit up by the infrared light.

Differences

You still awake? Hopefully I didn't bore you too much, but it's all pertinent information. Now that you understand the technology, I can tell you the differences between these and real NVG's. Real NVG's do not shine any light outwards. They only enhance light that is already present. MW2 goggles is limited by how far the infrared light can shine. However, here's a cool difference: in complete pitch darkness, a NVG will NOT work since there is absolutely no light to amplify, whereas the MW2 NVG's WILL work since it provides its own illumination!

Review

Now that you know the differences, let me tell you about how well they work. Ridiculously well. Seriously, these things are worth way more than $80 for the amount of functionality they have. Located on the top of the goggles are 3 buttons. One is the on button, and the other two toggle the view settings. The goggles offer two view types, WHITE/Black, which looks similar to what you would see in a police chopper video, or the AC-130 screen from MW2 and classic green. The second switch lets you toggle high intensity and low intensity mode. For longer distances and outside, you switch to high intensity, so that the infrared light being emitted is bright. I have fairly large rooms in my house and even on low intensity settings, I can see everything clear as day. Outside is a different story since the infrared light gets weaker as distance increases. They can see about 50ft out after which the light is too low. But the most fun to be had is inside a building anyways, and these excel in rooms. The goggles take 5 AA batteries, which are housed in a pack in the back of your head. The goggles themselves have really good adjustable straps, that are built well. The rubber around the goggles make them very comfortable and easy to use. Although they look bulky, they feel very light and well balanced while wearing. They also have adjustments for eye width, and a focus lens for those who have less than perfect vision. Those of you out there who have glasses should know that it fits glasses with no problem! The screen itself looks like a tiny camcorder screen. It is sort of low in resolution, but is one of those things that you stop noticing once you use it for a little. The bust that comes with it is quite sturdy and it fits the NVG's while you're not using them and displays it quite nicely.

For the price, you really can't beat the functionality and fun you're gonna get out of this thing. If you are a call of duty fan or just want a really cool gadget to show off and play with, then don't hesitate to pick up a copy of modern warfare 2 prestige. These are actually useful for late night snack runs, or scaring the heck out of your friends or family.