What is the scanning device used in Metroid Prime?

The scanning device used in Metroid Prime is the Scan Visor. It lets Samus examine enemies, environmental objects, and alien technology through the visor display built into her helmet.

The Scan Visor is more than a simple information tool. Scanning creatures can reveal weaknesses, behavior, and background data, while scanning machinery may unlock doors, elevators, force fields, and other mechanisms. The resulting entries are stored in Samus's logbook, making exploration part of the game's storytelling.

Metroid Prime also includes the Combat, Thermal, and X-Ray Visors. Those names can cause confusion because each visor changes how Samus perceives the world, but only the Scan Visor is specifically designed to analyze targets and interact with certain devices. The Thermal Visor detects heat, the X-Ray Visor reveals objects through some surfaces, and the Combat Visor is the standard battle view.

The system helped translate Metroid's exploration and environmental storytelling into a first-person format when Prime launched on the GameCube in 2002.