It's all down to quality. A high-quality pair of binoculars cost you £200 or more, and I doubt most households would ever consider spending that much. Then you

It's all down to quality. A high-quality pair of binoculars cost you £200 or more, and I doubt most households would ever consider spending that much. Then you move onto the actual differences between the two. Most binoculars contain some lenses and other small components (admittedly the more expensive ones now also include rangefingers etc). Even the most basic (true) NVG by comparison require image sensor, processor and display. Then you move up to the good goggles. These are the ones with anti-flare protection, more realistic colour and higher gain so you don't need an IR source (which lights you up like a christmas tree). At the end of the day, NVG aren't just binoculars with some fancy lenses.