Thermal Vision in GTA Online is one of those features that seems niche at first glance, but once you know how it works, you’ll find it’s actually useful. These are a great add-on if you want to spot enemies in low visibility, track players more easily, or just gain better awareness at night.

That said, you can acquire and use thermal vision by Grand Theft Auto Online.

Where to get a thermal imager in GTA Online

Thermal vision is tied to a specific helmet, not a standalone item. To purchase it, go to the mask shop near the Beach Wheel. Open the map and look for the mask icon, then drive over and interact with the vendor.

After entering the store, do not look at anything with a mask on. Instead, open the Hats category and go into Helmets. From here, scroll through combat helmets until you see options with lenses like Black Quad Lens.

This is the key difference. Dual-lens helmets provide night vision capabilities, while quad-lens helmets provide thermal vision capabilities. Thermal goggles usually have a blue preview and display characters in orange.

Choose any quad lens helmet you like and buy it. Prices vary here, but even the cheaper ones will do the same job.

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How to use thermal vision in GTA Online

Once you purchase the helmet, it does not automatically activate. You need to equip it manually via the interaction menu.

Open the interaction menu and go to appearanceThen Accessoriesthen select helmet. Scroll until you see your quad-lens helmet and equip it. Once integrated into your personality, Make sure the helmet visor is set down. This step is important because thermal vision will not activate if the visor is raised.

When the goggles are down, you should see a prompt on the screen to activate the goggles.

How to turn thermal vision on/off in GTA Online

There are two ways to toggle thermal vision after equipping the helmet. The quick way is Hold down the right arrow key. This instantly turns the goggles on or off, making it easy to react during gameplay without having to open a menu.

The latter is achieved via interactive menus. Go back to Appearance, then select Accessories, select your helmet, and select the activation option again. This is slower, but useful if quick switching is unresponsive.

when When heat vision is active, characters and heat sources glow orange or yellow, while the environment shifts to a cooler blue hue. This makes it easier to track movement, especially at night or dark indoors.

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When is thermal imaging most useful in GTA Online?

Heat vision can be really helpful when you’re in a PvP encounter. It’s also great when you want to sneak up on someone or have to do something at night. It is especially effective when visibility is poor or players are hiding behind cover. Even at a distance, motion becomes easier to read compared to normal vision.

It also pairs perfectly with free-roam campaigns, where awareness is more important than raw firepower. Remember that you cannot activate the helmet visor unless it is down.

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