PlayStation VR2 Sense Controller

Reviewed 12 October 2026. Controller specifications, controls, tracking and feedback, official PS5 and PC support, Vision Pro compatibility, setup and charging, release and development history, dated US Apple Store listing, and attributed launch-review observations were checked against the cited sources. Vision Pro feedback limitations are reported for the introduction of visionOS 26 support. About review dates.

PlayStation VR2 Sense Controller
Basic Info
VR/AR	Virtual reality
Type	Motion controller
Platform	PlayStation 5; SteamVR on Windows; Apple Vision Pro with visionOS 26 or later
Developer	Sony Interactive Entertainment
Announcement Date	March 18, 2021
Release Date	February 22, 2023
Website	Official specifications
Tracking
Tracking	Headset cameras track controller IR LEDs
Connectivity
Ports	USB Type-C
Bluetooth	5.1
Device
Dimensions	137 mm x 135 mm x 107 mm per controller (width x height x depth)
Weight	Approximately 168 g per controller

The PlayStation VR2 Sense Controller is a virtual reality motion controller developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment for PlayStation VR2 on PlayStation 5. The system includes separate left and right controllers, each with an analog stick, grip button and trigger. The controllers combine headset-based tracking with finger touch detection, haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. They launched with PS VR2 on February 22, 2023. Official support subsequently extended to SteamVR on Windows through the PS VR2 PC adapter and to Apple Vision Pro with visionOS 26 or later.

Design and controls

Sony introduced the controller's enclosing ring design in March 2021, describing its shape as an orb. Each hand holds a separate grip inside the ring. Sony said the design incorporated testing with different hand sizes. The PlayStation face buttons are divided between the two controllers, while both have a PS button and a clickable analog stick.

Controller inputs

Input	Left controller	Right controller
Face buttons	Triangle and Square	Circle and Cross
Analog stick and stick press	Left Stick / L3	Right Stick / R3
Grip button	L1	R1
Adaptive trigger	L2	R2
Menu and system buttons	Create and PS	Options and PS

The grip buttons can pick up virtual objects when a game assigns that function. Their operation and the use of the other inputs depend on the game. Sony supplies the controllers with attached straps.

Tracking and finger touch detection

PS VR2 uses inside-out tracking: the headset's four tracking cameras observe the controllers, which have infrared LEDs for position tracking. The controllers also have a six-axis motion sensing system made up of a three-axis gyroscope and three-axis accelerometer. The tracking ring is part of this optical tracking arrangement; it is separate from the controller's Bluetooth connection.

Finger touch detection uses capacitive sensing. Sony's announcement describes detection in the areas where the thumb, index finger and middle finger rest, without requiring a button press. Games can use these signals to represent hand gestures. This provides information about contact with the controller. In his launch review, Road to VR's Ben Lang described the sensing as coarse and observed that games could use contact with the sticks, buttons and triggers to represent virtual hands.

Haptics and adaptive triggers

Each controller has one haptic actuator, and its L2 or R2 trigger can change resistance. Sony drew on the DualSense controller's feedback features, but developed a dedicated adaptive trigger module for Sense because the components and battery had to fit within its grip.

The feedback patterns are implemented by individual games. Sony's FAQ gives drawing a bow in Horizon Call of the Mountain as an example of trigger resistance. Cloudhead Games described a firing effect in Pistol Whip where resistance increases during the trigger pull, levels off before the firing point and falls to zero when the weapon fires. The developer also described distinct feedback for dry firing and melee impacts. These controller effects are separate from the vibration motor in the PS VR2 headset.

Compatibility

Official platform support

Platform	Supported use	Feedback support
PS5 with PS VR2	Compatible PS VR2 games; controller requirements vary by title.	Haptic feedback and adaptive triggers in games that implement them.
Windows PC with PS VR2	SteamVR games through the PS VR2 PC adapter and PlayStation VR2 App. Finger touch detection remains supported.	Basic controller vibration. Sony's current support documentation excludes Sense haptic feedback beyond this basic vibration and excludes adaptive triggers.
Apple Vision Pro	visionOS 26 or later; Apple lists six degrees of freedom motion tracking, finger touch detection and vibration support.	Apple lists vibration feedback. UploadVR reported that basic vibration was supported and precision haptics and resistive triggers were unsupported at the introduction of visionOS 26 support.

On PS5, Sense controllers can operate the system interface and media applications without the PS VR2 headset, but Sony does not support their use in games without PS VR2 support. PlayStation Move and PlayStation VR Aim controllers are not compatible with PS VR2. Some PS VR2 titles instead support or require a DualSense controller, so the game determines which controller is needed.

PC setup pairs the left and right Sense controllers individually with the computer over Bluetooth. The left controller enters pairing mode with PS and Create; the right uses PS and Options. Sony instructs users to disconnect USB cables before pairing. Apple uses the same button combinations for Bluetooth pairing with Vision Pro.

Apple's developer documentation describes tracking spatial accessories with the headset's cameras and the accessory's sensors. Apps connect through the GameController framework and can obtain tracking information through RealityKit or ARKit. The Sense controller has named aim, grip and grip-surface locations to which developers can anchor virtual content.

Pairing, charging and settings

Each Sense controller communicates using Bluetooth 5.1 and contains a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, with USB Type-C for charging. First-time PS5 pairing uses a USB cable and the controller's PS button, repeating the process for the other hand. Sony states that a Sense controller can pair with one PS5 console at a time.

The two controllers charge separately over USB, or with Sony's Sense controller charging station. Sony's support instructions state that a controller cannot be used while charging. PS5 accessibility settings allow custom button assignments and swapping the left and right stick functions; controller software updates accompany PS5 system software updates.

Henry Stockdale's UploadVR launch review measured six hours and 30 minutes of battery life in Horizon Call of the Mountain with the game's default haptic settings. The measurement applies to that game and settings.

Development and availability

Sony's product manager Yasuo Takahashi said controller development discussions began in 2016 and prototyping began in 2017. An early prototype used the illuminated sphere from PlayStation Move to evaluate adaptive triggers, haptics and finger touch detection. Later prototypes tested infrared LED placement and different grip shapes for headset-based tracking. The team revised the grip and internal component arrangement to accommodate the battery and feedback hardware, and consulted PlayStation Studios about button counts and game interactions.

Sony revealed the controller design on March 18, 2021, and announced the PlayStation VR2 Sense name on January 4, 2022. Left and right Sense controllers were included in both PS VR2 launch packages in February 2023. Official PC support arrived with the adapter on August 7, 2024.

Apple announced Vision Pro support on June 9, 2025. In October it announced a US$249.95 controller and charging-station package for its US online store, with availability beginning November 11, 2025. The US Apple Store listed that package at US$249.95 when checked on October 12, 2026. It includes left and right controllers with straps, the charging station, AC adapter, power cord and two USB adapters; the store lists compatibility with both M2 and M5 Vision Pro models.

Reception

Launch reviews assessed the controllers as part of the PS VR2 system. UploadVR's Henry Stockdale found them comfortable and responsive, including the reaction of virtual fingers to light contact in Horizon Call of the Mountain. He also found that the ring design could make it easy to pick them up in the wrong orientation while wearing the headset.

Road to VR's Ben Lang reported essentially no headset or controller tracking errors during his tests across several lighting conditions. He found that moving the rings toward the wrists helped the two controllers approach each other during close hand interactions, while noting that the grips could feel small for larger hands. He considered finger sensing coarse and said the adaptive triggers worked, although he had not yet seen games make particularly effective use of them. These observations concern the reviewers' launch-period games and test conditions.