USB RC transmitter

Plug a transmitter into your Mac over USB. (macOS only.)

What it is

Most RC transmitters — directly, or through a simple USB dongle — show up to a computer as a standard USB game controller. On the Mac, HeliSense reads those axes so you can fly with your own sticks.

Mac only. USB transmitter input is a macOS feature. On iPhone and iPad, use VBar WiFi, ExpressLRS WiFi, or an MFi Bluetooth controller instead.

You’ll need

  • A Mac with Apple silicon running macOS 26 or later.
  • A transmitter (or USB sim adapter) that enumerates as a USB joystick, plus a suitable cable.

How it connects

  • Connect the transmitter to your Mac with the USB cable and switch it on.
  • Open HeliSense and in the USB Controller screen select one of the existing profiles or create and configure a new one.
Detailed setup guide coming. Step-by-step instructions and screenshots will land here as HeliSense goes live. The essentials are here in the meantime.

Prefer a different setup? See the full list of controllers.