Holosun DRS-TH Review: Anticipated Budget Thermal Sight (2024)

Last Updated: July 17, 2024

There are two points of perspective on the DRS TH. The first one comes from comparing it to other thermal imaging devices, and from that point of view, it’s quite compact. Earlier we had super big and chunky night vision devices that did look like they were its own thing completely rather than an accessory. This guy right here knows exactly what it is and tries to live up to the expectations.

The second perspective revolves around it being a red dot. It’s half of the sight functionality so there is no ignoring it. And for a red dot sight, the DRS TH might itself be somewhat chunky. It does break up the profile of your rifle and catch the eye. Is it huge? I wouldn’t say so. But I do understand that there is no way, at least now, to accommodate the functionality of these sights in a more compact housing. The future iterations might improve that or they might go in a whole different direction. For now, I’d kindly call the DRS TH a big boy and pat it on its sides.

Even though this sight combines two optical systems, thermal imaging is likely to be the main reason for acquiring the DRS TH. As such, we’ll cover it first.

A thermal sensor is the core component that determines much of the sight’s performance. The sensor of the Holosun Thermal isn’t necessarily stellar – the resolution will be sufficient, yet isn’t the most optimal (256×192 pixels). But don’t think that’s because Holosun decided to skimp on quality pieces. A higher resolution will cost you four to six thousand dollars minimum, and that’s like three to four times more than the DRS TH.

The refresh rate of the DRS TH is 50 Hz, which is right above the level where the image would be too laggy. It’s somewhat laggy, but not to the point of being a dealbreaker. The effective range of its thermal imaging is about 50-75 yards, which is not much, but understandable, considering the price. You might be able to use it at 100 yards thanks to the digital zoom (8x), but the image will likely become hard to read. With that being said, a 50-75 yards range allows you to do the majority of the tasks you would do with a rifle. Unless you have long-range shooting in mind, but a sight is a poor fit for that anyway. Pest control and varmint hunting, on the contrary, are the best tasks for that guy.

You can choose from one of the five thermal image color palettes: white hot, black hot, highlight, outline or fusion. I’m familiar with the first two, the rest are something of a mystery we’ll uncover once the sights are released.

If you take great pleasure in recording your shooting achievements, then the Holosun Digital Reflex Thermal sight will pleasantly surprise you. You can capture photos and videos and save them right away (the onboard memory is 32GB). There’s also a USB port that allows streaming footage to a secondary screen, given you have the cable.

The expected battery life is 10-12 hours, which is quite enough, I think. We recharge all our devices before setting off anyway, so that sounds like a good enough capacity.

There is no rubber eye cap, which is something that could reduce light pollution from the display. I wouldn’t call it a major drawback if you plan to engage only in pest control or varmint hunting, but if you, say, play airsoft in the evening or night, this glare will give your position away.

The new Holosun Digital Reflex Thermal Sight is a great effort at making night (and thermal) vision affordable. Up until now, you either had to spend a small fortune on a high-end thermal vision scope or settle for a thermal sight that would show just a fraction of what you wanted. Of course, calling the DRS-TH a budget option might sound like a joke, but if you take a look at the price tags of other thermal imaging devices, you will understand where this assertion comes from.

With that being said, the DRS-TH is no miracle worker. Consider it a budget thermal vision sight with the attributes inherent to budget sights. Its thermal imaging capabilities are not superior, but they are in place and there is no denying their potential. Being a two-for-one sight, a red dot and a thermal at once, the Holosun Digital Reflex Thermal Sight is a worthy candidate for a place in your optics collection. At least that’s what I assume now. It won’t be long until I either confirm my assumptions or dispel the illusion that looks very convincing.

Checkout other Product Reviews by Gritr Sports Team:

• Colt M4 6920 Carbine: Testing the Classic AR Rifle [Review]
• Canik Mete SFT 9mm Review: The Test of Time Passed?