Hardcore Night Vision Goggles
by BigBalakay
Hardcore Night Vision Goggles adds a piece of equipment that gives limited night vision while it is worn and switched on, with durability that wears down while the effect is active.
What it does
The goggles are toggled with a key bind, V by default, and the night vision only applies while the goggles are equipped and active. Once active, durability drops steadily, and a single activation lasts up to 30 minutes of uninterrupted use. The gray texture on the goggles shows when they are running out of durability, and the F3+H durability tooltip shows the remaining value for the item.
Installation depends on the loader. The 1.20.1 build requires Curios API, and the 1.21.1 build requires Adorned Curios, because the goggles are worn in a curio slot. Forge and NeoForge are supported, and the environment is client and server, so the server and every player need the mod. Files target 1.20.1 and 1.21.1, with version 1.1.0 released on 2025-01-31 for both.
Key features
Toggled night vision
Goggles provide limited night vision that is switched on and off with a key bind, with V as the default key.
Wear-based durability
Durability decreases while the night vision is active, and one activation lasts up to 30 minutes without interruption.
Repair recipe
Damaged goggles can be restored in crafting using a common redstone material and a gemstone shard.
Colorful variant
Version 1.1.0 added a colorful version of the Night Vision Goggles alongside the original.
Gallery
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
Use cases
Cave and mining trips
Players exploring dark caves or mining at night can keep visibility without placing torches for every corridor.
Who it’s for: Players who want a time-limited light source in survival worlds, and server owners who want the goggles available on multiplayer servers with the same durability rules for everyone.
How it compares
Refined Night Vision Goggles is a Forge and NeoForge mod for 1.20.1 – 1.21.1 under the MIT License, not open source, and it works on either side, and neither side needs it. Thermal Vision Goggles is Forge only for the same range, released under the Apache License 2.0 as open source, and it needs the client and server like this mod. Goggles On! is client-side only, so servers run without it, and it is MIT licensed and not open source.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardcore Night Vision Goggles | Forge and NeoForge | 1.20.1 – 1.21.1 | Client and server | 2025-01-31 |
| Refined Night Vision Goggles | Forge and NeoForge | 1.20.1 – 1.21.1 | Client or server, optional | 2026-04-20 |
| Thermal Vision Goggles | Forge | 1.20.1 – 1.21.1 | Client and server | 2026-10-09 |
| Goggles On! | Forge and NeoForge | 1.20.1 – 1.21.1 | Client-side only | 2026-05-12 |
Questions
Which dependency does Hardcore Night Vision Goggles need?
Does the server need Hardcore Night Vision Goggles?
How long does one activation of the goggles last?
In the catalog
Hardcore Night Vision Goggles is one of 8,499 Technology mods on ModsFinder, and one of 4,122 Technology mods for Forge. 32,366 mods support Minecraft 1.21.1.
More from BigBalakay
Similar mods
What the author says
Gray texture is displayed when any NVG runs out of durability 1.0.3 - fixed NVG not sitting properly when crouching, swimming, and flying - fixed depleted texture on head and in inventory
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/hardcore-night-vision-goggles
- Owner
- BigBalakay
- Published
- 2025-01-11
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2025-01-31
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15