Shelly Presence Gen4 launches in the US: a $84.99 radar sensor that tracks up to 10 people

Shelly has brought its Presence Gen4 sensor to North America. It is a small radar box that tells your smart home where people actually are, rather than simply whether something moved. The device is available from today for $84.99 in Shelly’s US store, The Verge reports, with Amazon, Best Buy, Micro Center and Newegg to follow.

Why radar instead of a motion sensor

Classic PIR motion sensors switch the lights off when you sit still on the sofa for too long. The Presence Gen4 uses mmWave radar to pick up the micro-movements of people who are sitting still. Shelly’s documentation lists it in the 60–64 GHz band, so it can keep a room “occupied” while you read, work or sleep. It never captures an image: the app shows a live occupancy map with dots instead of video.

What it can do

According to Shelly’s announcement:

• detects up to 10 people simultaneously;
• supports up to 10 detection zones, so a desk lamp only reacts when someone sits at the desk;
• lets you set minimum and maximum detection height to include or filter out pets, robot vacuums and other low objects;
• has a built-in ambient light sensor (dark, twilight, bright) for light-aware scenes.

A wall-mounted unit covers a 140-degree field of view and up to 650 sq ft (about 60 m²). In a corner it covers 90 degrees and about 525 sq ft (49 m²). It can also stand on a shelf thanks to a built-in stand, but it needs continuous USB-C power.

Works with almost everything

Like the rest of Shelly’s Gen4 range, it speaks Wi‑Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee and Matter. It works with Google Home, Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings and Home Assistant, and it supports local control without the cloud, plus scripting, MQTT and webhooks for tinkerers. It comes in white or black.

For European buyers this isn’t brand new: Shelly’s EU store already lists the Presence Gen4 at €69.90. The North American launch makes one of the more flexible camera-free presence sensors easy to buy in the US.