Pulsar Thermion XG vs XP vs XM vs XQ: Spec Differences and Image Comparison

You know it is true:

Pulsar is a leading thermal imaging supplier and reputable brand, especially when it comes to hunting world.

While Pulsar Thermion thermal rifle scopes are gaining popularity over the years, some of the most frequently asked questions include:

What are the differences between Pulsar Thermion XG vs XP and XM / XQ?

And what are the differences among various models within the same product family (eg. XP38 vs XP50, XM38 vs XM50, XQ38 vs XQ50)?

Let’s jump right in to see their specifications, user reviews, and side-by-side image quality comparison with videos.

Pulsar Thermion XG vs XP vs XM vs XQ: Differences?

The key differences between Pulsar Thermion XP / XQ / XM vs XG are the resolution of thermal sensor and pixel pitch size:

• Pulsar XG: 640×480 microbolometer sensor, 12 µm pixel pitch.
• Pulsar XP: 640×480 microbolometer sensor, 17 µm pixel pitch.
• Pulsar XQ: 384×288 microbolometer sensor, 17 µm pixel pitch.
• Pulsar XM: 320×240 microbolometer sensor, 12 µm pixel pitch.

Different specifications lead to different pricing; XG series (i.e. Pulsar Thermion XG50) as the latest high-end thermal rifle scope released in year 2020 has the highest specification and price – followed by XP and then XQ / XM.
 
 
Additionally, all the different Pulsar Thermion thermal scope models within the same product family have varying magnification, detection range, etc.

As example, the comparison table below shows an overview of XP50 vs XQ50 vs XM50, covering the main differences of their specifications and capabilities – in which you can also check out their latest price and user reviews respectively:

 
As a picture is worth a thousand words, having side-by-side comparison of pictures / videos taken by various thermal scope models above is the best approach to see the difference of their image quality – so that you know what you’ll be getting.

Here is an excellent video that compares Pulsar Thermion XP50 vs XQ50 vs XM50:

And here is another great video that compares XP50 vs XM50 vs XQ50 vs XQ38 (note: you don’t need to understand the language to compare the difference of image quality in video):

 

Pulsar Thermion XG50 vs XP50 vs XP38

Pulsar Thermion XG50 is the latest thermal rifle scope released by Pulsar on 1st Sept 2020.

This amazing innovation integrates top-notch 640×480 microbolometer and 12-micron pixel pitch together with BAE sensor, onboard recording, Wi-Fi connectivity, rechargeable batteries etc into a first-of-its-kind thermal scope:

The key difference between XG and XP is the pixel pitch size. XG comes with 12-micron pixel detail, and XP comes with 17-micron. While both sensors have the same 640×480 resolutions, the XG with smaller sensor pixel pitch offers enhanced picture quality with more image details vs XP.

The following video gives a great overview on Pulsar Thermion XP50 vs XG50, including the 17 µm vs 12 µm pixel pitch, side-by-side comparison of their field of view and image quality:

 
 
While XG-50 has surpassed XP-50 to become the most advanced Pulsar Thermion thermal scope to-date, not everyone can afford the cost of XG50, so other cheaper options like XP50 and XP38 are good alternatives.

The main differences between Pulsar Thermion XG50 vs XP50 vs XP38 are the thermal sensor resolution, pixel pitch, magnification, and detection range:

• XG50: 640×480 sensor, 12 micron pixel pitch, 3 – 24x, 2400 yards detection range.
• XP50: 640×480 sensor, 17 micron pixel pitch, 2 – 16x, 2000 yards detection range.
• XP38: 640×480 sensor, 17 micron pixel pitch, 1.5 – 12x, 1500 yards detection range.

 
Watch the 3 videos below to compare the image of Pulsar Thermion XP38 vs XP50 vs XG50:

 

Pulsar Thermion XQ50 vs XQ38 vs XM50 vs XM38

If the price of XP thermal scope is beyond your budget, then you can consider the cheaper XQ-series or XM-series with lower specifications:

• XQ and XP have different microbolometer sensor resolution, whereby the 384×288 resolution of XQ is lower than the XP configuration of 640×480. Both XQ and XP have the same pixel pitch of 17 µm.
• The main differences between Pulsar Thermion XM and XP are the thermal sensor resolution and pixel pitch size. XP comes with 17 micron 640×480 sensor, while XM comes with 12 micron 320×240 sensor.

Additionally, various thermal rifle scope models within the same product family have varying magnification, range of detection, objective lens, etc.
 
 
For easy reference, here is the summary of main differences among Pulsar Thermion XP50 / XP38 vs XQ50 / XQ38 vs XM50 / XM38 vs XG50:

• XG50: 640×480 sensor, 12µm pixel pitch, 3 – 24x, 2400 yards detection range.
• XP50: 640×480 sensor, 17µm pixel pitch, 2 – 16x, 2000 yards detection range.
• XP38: 640×480 sensor, 17µm pixel pitch, 1.5 – 12x, 1500 yards detection range.
• XQ50: 384×288 sensor, 17µm pixel pitch, 3.5 – 14x, 1969 yards detection range.
• XQ38: 384×288 sensor, 17µm pixel pitch, 2.5 – 10x, 1476 yards detection range.
• XM50: 320×240 sensor, 12µm pixel pitch, 5.5 – 22x, 2500 yards detection range.
• XM38: 320×240 sensor, 12µm pixel pitch, 4 – 16x, 1850 yards detection range.

As additional info, the number indicated in the name of each thermal scope model represents the focal length of Germanium objective lens, i.e.:

• XP50 / XQ50 / XM50: Use 50 mm objective lens
• XP38 / XQ38 / XM38: Use 38 mm objective lens

 
Watch the 3 videos below to compare the image of Pulsar Thermion XM38 vs XQ38 vs XP38:

Common Features of Pulsar Thermion Thermal Scopes

After understanding the differences of various Pulsar Thermion thermal rifle scopes, here is a glance on the key features that they all have in common:

• 1024 x 768 AMOLED display and HD image.
• 50 Hz frame rate / refresh rate.
• Instant start-up.
• One-shot zeroing.
• Recoil rated up to .375-cal
• Built-in recoil activated video recording.
• Still photo recording.
• Picture-in-Picture.
• Customizable reticle options and color palettes.
• Wi-Fi and Stream Vision App for connection to smartphone or tablet.
• 16GB in-built internal memory.
• Mounts on standard 30mm scope rings.
• Magnesium alloy bodyshell
• IPX7 Waterproof rated

 

How to Choose the Right Thermal Rifle Scope for You

While the latest released Pulsar Thermion XG50 is a top choice that most of us would love to own one, obviously not everyone wants to spend $5000 ~ $6000 to buy a thermal scope.

We recommend you to consider the followings to facilitate your purchase decision:

1. Determine what is your budget. For example, if you are looking for a thermal rifle scope under $4000, then you can rule out XG-scope and XP-scopes with higher specifications, and narrow down your selection to XQ-scopes and XM-scopes.

2. Determine your needs and where you are going to use the thermal rifle scope. For instance, will you be using your thermal scope in wooded area that most of your shots are gonna be within hundred yards, or you will be using the scope in open fields to hunt for hogs / coyotes that are thousand yards away?

3. Compare and assess the differences of various Pulsar Thermion thermal scope models in side-by-side comparison tables/videos above, including their specifications and image quality, so that you know what you’ll be getting.


4. Compare and determine if the extra cost adder (associated with enhanced capabilities) worth your money. For example, with the latest released Pulsar Thermion XG50 offers enhanced image quality alongside better magnification and detection range than XP50, do you see spending additional thousand dollars to get XG50 over XP50 is good money well spent to meet your preference and needs?
 
 
By following these buying guidelines, you’ll be able to identify the best Pulsar Thermion thermal rifle scope that can improve your hunting experience – within your budget.