Nature Materials, Published online: 24 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41563-026-02721-4Electrical switching and reading of perpendicular altermagnetic order is demonstrated in a Dirac semimetal/altermagnet heterostructure PtTe2/CrSb. The switching of altermagnetic CrSb is realized using a spin–orbit torque generated in the PtTe2 layer on application of an electrical current, whereas the reading makes use of an altermagnetic proximity-induced anomalous Hall effect in the PtTe2 layer.