$4k/unit is nothing when it comes to military hardware. There's also no need for the outward facing display, etc.
If anything, I wouldn't be surprised if Hololens goes in this direction. And the DoD already has contracts around the hololens.
- real NVG costs way above my budget, and all comes with defects. Realistically the tubes in civilian markets are all defective returns.
- even real NVGs can’t work in complete darkness, such as in a closet; moonlight or starlight is needed.
- real NVGs on firearms are often used in conjunction with an IR laser and a flashlight for aiming; advantage is solely that you have to have a goggle to see it, not that you can operate without making any emissions.
- partly due to above points, plain old CMOS cameras with modified 1” Sony sensors for better low light performance is starting to match practical usefulness of a real NVG(it’s Cold War tech so no wonder here). Latency is an issue, but more of “is an issue” and no longer a blocker.
… Vision Pro type of devices replacing NVGs indeed seem like a near future possibility.
They do work in complete darkness! You just need an IR illumination source. If not using a weapon mounted illuminator you can just use an IR flashlight. Thermal doesn't require external illumination but isn't anywhere near as useful for navigation. That said, good IR laser + illuminator weapon mounted systems are a few thousand bucks too.
My point about vision pro type devices is they can take a feed from real NVG tubes and potentially regular cameras and thermal and combine them. It'll be game changing when the tech is ready. It's not a matter of if but when.
Currently, NVGs that are fielded by soldiers are already displaying images in a way that's not pass-through (using classic image intensification tubes). Something like the Apple vision headset in a lighter and more durable form factor would allow for eg; fusion imagery (fusing visible, thermal, and night vision).