Potensic Atom 2 PTD 1 controller review: elevate your flying with Potensic's latest hand controller

T3 has already reviewed the Potensic Atom 2 drone, which comes with a standard phone-based hand controller. If you're in the market for a brilliant, low-priced camera drone that genuinely cuts the mustard, the Atom 2 comes highly recommended, especially for beginners and budding aerial cinematographers.

However, this very same drone is now also available with a brand-new all-in-one controller with a 5.5-inch screen. It's called the PTD 1, and it's available either separately for around £240 or as part of the Potensic Atom 2's Standard Kit and Fly More Combo.

I've been putting this new controller through its paces and can report that it's a worthwhile upgrade that speeds up the process of launching while providing a more complete flying experience. Here's my review.

Potensic Atom 2 PTD 1 controller review

Price and availability

If you live in the UK, you can purchase the new PTD 1 controller separately for £239.99 from Amazon, or as part of two new packages: the Standard Kit (£379.99 from Amazon) with Atom 2 drone, PTD 1 controller and single battery; and the Fly More Combo (£479.99 from Amazon) with drone, PTD 1 controller, three batteries, charging hub and well-designed carry case.

If you live Stateside, head straight to Amazon US, where the Standard Kit retails at $419.99 and the Fly More combo for $519.99. If you're looking to upgrade your current PT 1 controller, the new PTD 1 is also available separately from Amazon, priced at $279.99.

Specifications

• Atom 2 drone:
• Dimensions (L×W×H): 300×242×58 mm (unfolded), 88×143×58 mm (folded)
• Weight: 249 grams
• Battery life (flight time): approx. 32 mins
• Max flight speed: 35mph / 58km/h
• Max Wind Speed Resistance: 38km/h (Level 5)
• Built-in GPS: Yes
• Tracking: Yes – AI Visual Tracking
• Internal storage: No
• Sensor: 1/2-inch CMOS image sensor
• FOV: 79.4˚
• Max photo resolution: 48MP (JPG/RAW)
• Max video resolution: 4K (3840×2160) @ 30fps (horizontal shooting); 2.7K (2704X1520) @ 30fps; FHD: 1920x1080 @ up to 60fps
• Image stabilisation: 3-axis mechanical gimbal (tilt, roll, pan)
• Connectivity: WiFi / Bluetooth
• PTD 1 controller:
• Dimensions (L×W×H): 225.4 x 111.6 x 52.7 mm
• Weight: 450 grams
• Max operation time: 3 hours
• Max transmission range: 10 km‌
• Transmission system: PixSync 4.0
• Video Transmission: 1080p@30fps
• Intelligent flight modes: Multiple
• Gimbal wheel: Yes
• Zoom wheel: Yes

Design and features

Before we kick off, I should add that, a few new firmware features notwithstanding, there's no change to the Potensic Atom 2 I reviewed in 2025. However, the brand new PTD 1 hand controller, the Atom 2, is now available, and it is a completely different kettle of pleasure, so that's what we'll concentrate on here.

For the record, the Atom 2 drone looks very similar to the DJI Mini 4 Pro while sporting comparable flight characteristics, a decent tranche of autonomous flight modes, and an impressive little 4K camera with a 1/2-inch CMOS image sensor and a wide f/1.8 aperture, mounted on a rock-steady 3-axis mechanical gimbal.

While the camera doesn't afford quite the same level of sharpness as DJI's Mini 4 Pro, it's perfectly adequate for beginners and anyone looking for a great little 4K camera-equipped drone that doesn't cost the earth.

I should add that, unlike the Mini 4 Pro, this model doesn't include obstacle avoidance. However, I don't think this is too much of an issue, as long as you use some common sense and don't ask it to follow you through a wooded area or fly it too close to buildings or other solid obstructions.

Before continuing, it's also worth noting that this sub-250g drone now falls under the UK's new drone flying regulations of 2026, and that means that any prospective user will now need a Flyer ID and Operator ID before taking to the skies.

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Right, let's talk about this new PTD 1 controller I have here in my hands. Where the standard Atom 2 kit I reviewed in 2025 requires inserting your mobile phone into the provided hand controller's spring-clip mechanism and attaching an ungainly cable, the latest kits come with Potensic's new, all-in-one smart controller, comprising a built-in 5.5" 1080p HD screen.

In other words, this new setup completely eliminates the need for a phone while offering much faster setup, similar screen brightness, integrated storage for saving flight data, screenshots and cached video (you will still need a MicroSD card in the drone for downloading the full-fat footage), plus dedicated controls for functions like gimbal tilt and digital zoom.

The PTD 1 measures 225.4x111.6x52.7mm, which is quite a bit larger than DJI's similar RC 2 controller (168.4mm×123.7×46.2 mm), so it won't fit into most jacket pockets. At 450g, it's also 60g heavier than the RC 2.

However, it's all very well laid out and feels impressively comfortable in the hands of an adult. Whether this controller is a good fit for teenagers under the age of 16 is open to debate, so if you're not sure, perhaps opt for the original package, which ships with the marginally smaller phone-based PT 1 controller.

Like most hand controllers of this nature, the PTD 1 features removable joysticks that stow away on the rear of the unit. Be careful when fitting these joysticks since they are very small and easily dropped – a bad thing if the drone is being used on rocky beach terrain.

Looking at the front, you get a wonderfully wide 5.5" HD touchscreen that relays crisp visuals from the nose of the drone in HD 1080p. At 700 nits, this touch-responsive, lag-free screen is the same brightness as the DJI RC 2 and therefore suitable for most lighting scenarios. Granted, screen brightness does suffer somewhat in direct sunshine, but this can be improved by having your back to the sun and shading the controller.

To the left of the device, you'll find a simple power button, and to the right, a return-to-home button that can be height-configured in the controller's software. Potensic's PixSync 4.0 video transmission system, meanwhile, provides a stable feed up to a claimed 10 km range, though real-world reception can vary depending on the environment.

Heading to the top of the unit, you get two pop-up aerials, dedicated video and still-shot buttons on either side (you can also perform this function by tapping the on-screen video record and photo buttons), a nicely dialled gimbal control wheel for the left index finger and a similar wheel on the right for activating the Atom 2 camera's smooth 2x to 4x digital zoom.

And just below these control wheels are two customisable buttons (C1/C2) that can be programmed in a number of ways. For instance, a single press of the C1 button will activate one of seven preset options, including instantaneous toggle of gimbal angle from 0˚ to 90˚, switching the camera from Manual to Auto or toggling between Landscape and Portrait modes. The same set of custom options also applies to the C2 button.

If you really have a good memory, you can even set the C1 and C2 buttons to trigger a whole host of other shortcuts by double-tapping the custom buttons, and use them in combination with the aforementioned left and right gimbal and zoom wheels.

The PTD 1 controller features the same user-friendly interface as Potensic's Eve app for smart phones which serves as the unit's primary interface for flight control, autonomous flight modes, media management and camera settings like white balance, onscreen gridline activation for improved framing, Defog mode for hazy weather, GPS positioning info and access to a small tranche of telemetry settings like control stick sensitivity and gimbal pitch speed.

However, unlike DJI's Mini series, this model doesn't provide access to the craft's gain and expo parameters, such as yaw velocity and smoothness, pitch speed, and brake sensitivity.

The PTD 1 has a runtime of around 3 hours and can be charged on the fly via USB-C with a suitable power bank or portable power station.

PTD 1 controller performance

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I've used the Atom 2 with both the standard PT 1 controller and this new PTD 1 version, and the experience is like night and day. With the PTD 1 you're never bothered by annoying notifications and phone calls and the set-up process is almost twice as fast. Simply turn on the controller and drone, and it takes about 15 seconds for them to fully connect.

I tested this controller in a local field and, despite its bulk, it felt great in my hands. However, I do think it's much larger than it needs to be, and that could be an issue for those with smaller hands. On the plus side, I've been impressed by its overall build quality, which feels solid and sturdy, though I would definitely consider buying a secure neck strap and fixing it to the controller using its conveniently positioned universal screw mounts.

While the screen isn't the brightest I've ever seen, in direct sunlight, I was able to see what was going on by turning my back to the sun and holding the controller at waist level. I'd say the screen is no better or worse than DJI's RC 2, and that's good enough in my book.

Stick control is just how I expected it to be – butter smooth and a joy to use. However, I personally think the C1 and C2 buttons should have been fitted on the rear of the unit, like on the DJI RC 2, because I kept activating them whenever I reached for the gimbal pitch or zoom wheels. But this is something I would eventually get used to and don't consider a deal breaker.

Thankfully, the PTD 1's built-in Eve app is very similar to DJI's, which means it's easy to check the drone's battery status, elevation, distance, and the number of GPS satellites. At no time during my flight tests did I experience any transmission issues, such as dropouts or glitches. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that the PTD 1's video transmission is a bit more stable than the phone-based PT 1 variant.

Should you opt for this controller over the standard PT 1 variant? If you have a high-end mobile phone with more than 700 nits of brightness, you may be better off with the standard PT1, as you'll benefit from a much brighter screen, which can be a godsend in very bright summer sunshine. But if your phone is pretty standard and you have some extra readies to splash out on an integrated controller, the answer is a resounding yes.

Verdict

The new Potensic PTD 1 smart controller pairs seamlessly with the Atom 2 drone and delivers a clean, cable-free flying experience via its built-in 5.5-inch HD 1080p touchscreen. Live video and flight data are presented in crisp detail, touch sensitivity is spot-on, and battery life is impressive. While screen brightness isn’t quite as strong as premium phones in harsh sunlight, the PTD 1 remains a polished, practical upgrade over its phone-based stablemate.