The pathway descending from the superior colliculus (SC) to the dopaminergic (DA) neurons within the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) is involved in controlling an animal’s orienting movements based on sensory integration. Most studies to date have focused only on the dominant, ipsilateral branch of this pathway, although there are both monosynaptic and polysynaptic contralateral connections descending from the SC to the ventral midbrain. Therefore, we set out to characterise the responses of DA neurons in the VTA/SNc to lateralized retinal stimulation and investigate the resulting changes in striatal dopamine release on both sides of the rat brain. Our hypothesis posits that VTA/SNc neurons respond differently to light stimuli based on the eye receiving the stimulation, resulting in an asymmetrical release of DA within the striatum. Our approach combined in vivo electrophysiological extracellular single-cell recordings with SC pharmacological disinhibition and light stimulation of the animal’s retina. We have observed that stimulation of single eye predominantly led to excitation in the VTA/SNc of the contralateral hemisphere, while ipsilateral hemisphere exhibited more inhibitory responses of DA neurons. These findings are further supported by our fiber photometry experiments, which revealed a higher dopamine release in the striatum contralateral to the site of eye stimulation, compared to the ipsilateral striatal dopamine release. Our findings expand the knowledge of how sensory stimuli influence the activity of the DA system. They also shed light on how asymmetry in sensory input can produce asymmetry in decision-making and learning processes. Funding:National_Science_Centre,OPUS_17,UMO-2019/33/B/NZ4/03127