Thermal riflescope technology has advanced at a tremendous rate over the past few years. Although much of this progress has been based around image quality and advanced features, things have also come a long way in terms of affordability – and that is epitomised by the subject of this review.
The new Hikmicro NEOS is a thermal scope brilliantly suited to airgun pest control and also strikes a great balance between performance and value for money. After testing NEOS NH35L model for several weeks, I can confirm that it really does deliver deliver premium performance at an entry-level price.
Equipped with a laser rangefinder, the NEOS NH35L has a recommended retail price of £1499.99, though prices actually start at £849.99 for the NH25 model. Of course that isn’t cheap, and still amounts to a carefully considered investment, but compared with other offerings arounds the same price point, it amounts to an extremely competitive price.
Apart from delivering great value and solid performance, the Hikmicro NEOS is also compact – it strikes me as being a thermal version of the Alpex 4K Lite. It is just 345mm long, including its soft rubber eyecup, and this model weighs about 590g with the external battery fitted. Those proportions should make it a very balanced match with pretty much any airgun.
As with the Alpex 4K Lite day and night scope, the NEOS is based around a traditional tube design chassis. As a shooter who grew up using traditional glass scopes, I really appreciate that, because its handling feels really familiar from the outset. Its 30mm tube also makes for very versatile mounting.
Below: The NEOS is a compact thermal scope designed around a familiar tube chassis
Another thing I really like about the Hikmicro NEOS is that its controls are very, very simple to master. The power button is on the right turret; a long press turns the NEOS on and off, a short press puts it into power-saving mode and another short press fires it immediately back into action. Focusing is via a collar at the front, which is very smooth to operate and quickly brings the target into sharp relief.
All the main controls are all operated via the top turret. This setup immediately felt very intuitive to me – even in the dark and when wearing gloves. In normal use, a short press of the front left button captures a still images and a longer press starts and stops video recording – still images and videos are saved to 64gb onboard memory. Short presses of the front right button scroll through the various colour palettes, which optimise viewing in different conditions. Those palettes are: White Hot, Black Hot, Fusion, Red Hot, Red Monochrome and Green Monochrome.
Below top: Most of the main controls are operated via the top turret
Below bottom: A grey squirrel viewed through the Hikmicro NEOS in green monochrome palette
The rear button activates the laser rangefinder that gives you an accurate reading of distance to target and, if you have the ballistic calculator activated, also gives you a revised aiming point to ensure that you’re right on target at any range. Airgun hunters will know that that’s as useful on very close targets as it is for very long ones. The laser rangefinder on the NEOS goes out to 1000m and right down to just 3m, so everything is covered.
Below: The model featured here has a laser rangefinder and ballistic calculator, which will put you right on aim for long and short-range targets
This thermal scope is absolutely packed with features. You’ve got all the usual stuff like brightness and contrast adjustment, Picture in Picture and photo and video viewing in local albums. There is also a pitch scale, which I really like because it tells you if you’re canting the gun – something that can make a big difference to accuracy, particularly over longer ranges. You can also choose different reticle designs and colours and save five different zero profiles to cover different setups.
Zeroing is a very quick process, and the NEOS has an image freeze feature to make it even simpler – I had it absolutely bang on in just a few shots. The menus are very easy to navigate. You open the menu with a long press of the front right button, then turn the top turret to scroll up and down while pressing the menu button to make your choices from the various menus.
You also turn the top turret to zoom in and out in normal viewing mode. Magnification is 3.2 to 25.6x. At its lowest setting, it gives you a really wide field of view, which is great for spotting quarry. Wind it up and you’ve got all the magnification you could need for long-range precision. Very importantly, the NEOS has Hikmicro’s Zoom Pro feature, which maintains a high level of image quality and detail, even at higher zoom levels.
Image quality really is exceptional in all conditions – and I’ve been impressed by just how good it is in the rain. There is a lot of technology at work here; the NEOS boasts sub-18 NETD viewing and that’s enhanced by a large 0.49-inch AMOLED display. You also have Hikmicro’s Image Pro 3.0 feature boosting contrast and fine detail. That means you don’t just have a good view of the target but also the landscape around it, which is a real asset when it comes to safe, precise shooting.
There is no sign of corner cutting to save money on the NEOS, and it really does deliver high-end performance at an affordable price. It is loaded with technology that helps to breed confidence, including Hikmicro’s Sync Pro which reduces image delay by 60 percent to deliver a smoother and more immediate viewing experience. This scope also has HSIS Shutterless Technology, which eliminates the image freeze that brings everything to a standstill when thermal scopes calibrate. Free from that frustration, the NEOS thermal scope gives a smooth, fluid viewing experience, so you’re always right in the moment. I found it particularly noticeable when tracking fidgety quarry such as farmyard rats and treetop squirrels – I simply never lost touch with them.
Below top: Zoom Pro maintains a clear image at higher magnification levels
Below bottom: The Hikmicro NEOS gives a sharp, uninterrupted viewing experience
The NEOS has a dual power system incorporating an integral rechargeable battery and a removable 18650 rechargeable battery, which is supplied along with a charger. Runtime is stated as eight hours – but, with the ability to swap out that removable battery you can carry spares and keep on going through the longest hunting sessions.
I would say this thermal scope is definitely geared towards airgun and rimfire use. So far, I have only used it on an airgun, and it has given a great account if itself. I have not always been convinced that affordable thermal scopes provide enough detail when targeting small airgun quarry which only has a small heat profile. That is not an issue with the NEOS though; it has given me plenty of detail to take precise head shots. I have used it in a wide range of conditions, targeting grey squirrels, rabbits and rats by day and by night, and it has done brilliantly.
Below: The Hikmicro NEOS produces a detailed sight picture - even when targeting airgun quarry
The Hikmicro NEOS thermal scope really does meet its brief to deliver great performance and excellent value. I am genuinely surprised by the image quality and features it gives you at its price point. It is also very compact, so it won’t add a lot of weight or bulk to your setup – very useful if you’re planning to use it on roving shoots and don’t want to feel bogged down. On top of that, it is very simple to operate – which is always an important consideration to me. If you want a good thermal scope for airgun use at a good price, the Hikmicro NEOS is the complete package.
MAKE: Hikmicro
MODEL: NEOS thermal scope NH35L
PRICE: From £849.99, £1,499.99 for model featured here
LENGTH: 345mm
WEIGHT: 590g
Article first published June 8th 2026
