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Class A Shares | AB Global Risk Allocation-Moderate Portfolio  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk/Return [Heading] rr_RiskReturnHeading AB VPS Global Risk Allocation—Moderate Portfolio
Objective [Heading] rr_ObjectiveHeading INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE
Objective, Primary [Text Block] rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock The Portfolio’s investment objective is to seek long-term growth of capital while seeking to limit volatility.
Expense [Heading] rr_ExpenseHeading FEES AND EXPENSES OF THE PORTFOLIO
Expense Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Portfolio. Because the information does not reflect deductions at the separate account level or contract level for any charges that may be incurred under a contract, Contractholders that invest in the Portfolio should refer to the variable contract prospectus for a description of fees and expenses that apply to Contractholders. Inclusion of these charges would increase the fees and expenses provided below.
Shareholder Fees Caption [Text] rr_ShareholderFeesCaption Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Operating Expenses Caption [Text] rr_OperatingExpensesCaption Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement over Assets, Date of Termination rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssetsDateOfTermination May 1, 2022
Portfolio Turnover [Heading] rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading Portfolio Turnover
Portfolio Turnover [Text Block] rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock The Portfolio pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys or sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These transaction costs, which are not reflected in the Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses or in the Examples, affect the Portfolio’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Portfolio’s portfolio turnover rate was 31% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate 31.00%
Expense Example [Heading] rr_ExpenseExampleHeading Examples
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock The Examples are intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Examples assume that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Examples also assume that your investment has a 5% return each year, that the Portfolio’s operating expenses stay the same and that any fee waiver and/or expense limitation is in effect for only the first year. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Strategy [Heading] rr_StrategyHeading PRINCIPAL STRATEGIES
Strategy Narrative [Text Block] rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock In making decisions on the allocation of assets among “growth assets” and “safety assets”, the Adviser uses a risk-weighted allocation methodology based on the expected “tail risk” of each asset class. For purposes of the Portfolio, growth assets include global equities and, at times, high yield fixed-income securities (commonly known as “junk bonds”), and safety assets include government
securities of developed countries. This strategy attempts to provide investors with favorable long-term total return while minimizing exposure to material or “tail” losses. To execute this strategy, the percentage loss that will constitute a tail loss is calculated for each asset class based on historical market behavior and on a forward-looking basis through options prices. Portfolio assets are then allocated among asset classes so that growth assets contribute the majority of the expected risk of tail loss (“tail risk”) of the Portfolio, and safety assets contribute a lesser amount of tail risk. The Adviser makes frequent adjustments to the Portfolio’s asset class exposures based on these tail risk determinations. To help limit tail risk, the Portfolio utilizes a risk management strategy involving the purchase of put options and sale of call options on equity indices, equity index futures or exchange-traded funds, or ETFs. The Adviser will on a best efforts basis seek to limit the volatility of the Portfolio to no more than 10% on an annualized basis. Actual results may vary.
The Adviser also assesses tail risk on a security, sector and country basis, and makes adjustments to the Portfolio’s allocations within each asset class when practicable. The Portfolio may invest in fixed-income securities with a range of maturities from short- to long-term. The Adviser expects that the Portfolio’s investments in high yield fixed-income securities will not exceed 10% of the Portfolio’s net assets. The Portfolio’s investments in each asset class will generally be global in nature.
The Adviser expects to utilize a variety of derivatives in its management of the Portfolio, including futures contracts, options, swaps and forwards. Derivatives often provide more efficient and economical exposure to market segments than direct investments, and the Portfolio may utilize derivatives and ETFs to gain exposure to equity and fixed-income asset classes. Because derivatives transactions frequently require cash outlays that are only a small portion of the amount of exposure obtained through the derivative, a portion of the Portfolio’s assets may be held in cash or invested in cash equivalents to cover the Portfolio’s derivatives obligations, such as short-term U.S. Government and agency securities, repurchase agreements and money market funds. At times, a combination of direct securities investments and derivatives will be used to gain asset class exposure so that the Portfolio’s aggregate exposure will substantially exceed its net assets (
i.e.
, so that the Portfolio is effectively leveraged).
Currency exchange rate fluctuations can have a dramatic impact on returns. The Adviser may seek to hedge all or a portion of the currency exposure resulting from Portfolio investments through currency-related derivatives, or decide not to hedge this exposure. The Portfolio is
“non-diversified”.
Risk [Heading] rr_RiskHeading PRINCIPAL RISKS
Risk Narrative [Text Block] rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock
•
 
Market Risk:
The value of the Portfolio’s investments will fluctuate as the stock or bond market fluctuates. The value of its investments may decline, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably, simply because of economic changes or other events, including public health crises (including the occurrence of a contagious disease or illness), that affect large portions of the market.
 
•
 
Allocation Risk:
The allocation of investments among asset classes may have a significant effect on the Portfolio’s net asset value, or NAV, when the asset classes in which the Portfolio has invested more heavily perform worse than the asset classes invested in less heavily.
 
•
 
Interest Rate Risk:
Changes in interest rates will affect the value of investments in fixed-income securities. When interest rates rise, the value of existing investments in fixed-income securities tends to fall and this decrease in value may not be offset by higher income from new investments. Interest rate risk is generally greater for fixed-income securities with longer maturities or durations. Very low or negative interest rates would likely magnify the risks associated with changes in interest rates. During periods of very low or negative rates, the Portfolio’s returns would likely be adversely affected.
 
•
 
Credit Risk:
An issuer or guarantor of a fixed-income security, or the counterparty to a derivatives or other contract, may be unable or unwilling to make timely payments of interest or principal, or to otherwise honor its obligations. The issuer or guarantor may default, causing a loss of the full principal amount of a security and accrued interest. The degree of risk for a particular security may be reflected in its credit rating. There is the possibility that the credit rating of a fixed-income security may be downgraded after purchase, which may adversely affect the value of the security.
 
•
 
High Yield Securities Risk:
Investments in fixed-income securities with ratings below investment grade (commonly known as “junk bonds”) tend to have a higher probability that an issuer will default or fail to meet its payment obligations. These securities may be subject to greater price volatility due to such factors as specific corporate developments, interest rate sensitivity and negative perceptions of the junk bond market generally, and may be more difficult to trade than other types of securities.
 
•
 
Foreign
(Non-U.S.)
Risk:
Investments in securities of
non-U.S.
issuers may involve more risk than those of U.S. issuers. These securities may fluctuate more widely in price and may be more difficult to trade due to adverse market, economic, political, regulatory or other factors.
 
•
 
Currency Risk:
Fluctuations in currency exchange rates may negatively affect the value of the Portfolio’s investments or reduce its returns.
•
 
Investment in Other Investment Companies Risk:
As with other investments, investments in other investment companies, including ETFs, are subject to market and selection risk. In addition, Contractholders of the Portfolio bear both their proportionate share of expenses in the Portfolio (including management fees) and, indirectly, the expenses of the investment companies in which the Portfolio invests (to the extent these expenses are not waived or reimbursed by the Adviser).
 
•
 
Derivatives Risk:
Derivatives may be difficult to price or unwind and leveraged so that small changes may produce disproportionate losses for the Portfolio. Derivatives, especially
over-the-counter
derivatives, are also subject to counterparty risk.
 
•
 
Leverage Risk:
Because the Portfolio uses leveraging techniques, its NAV may be more volatile because leverage tends to exaggerate the effect of changes in interest rates and any increase or decrease in the value of the Portfolio’s investments.
 
•
 
Illiquid Investments Risk:
Illiquid investments risk exists when certain investments are or become difficult to purchase or sell. Difficulty in selling such investments may result in sales at disadvantageous prices affecting the value of your investment in the Portfolio. Causes of illiquid investments risk may include low trading volumes and large positions. Foreign fixed-income securities may have more illiquid investments risk because
secondary
trading markets for these securities may be smaller and less well-developed and the securities may trade less frequently. Illiquid investments risk may be higher in a rising interest rate environment, when the value and liquidity of fixed-income securities generally decline.
 
•
 
Non-Diversification
Risk:
The Portfolio may have more risk because it is
“non-diversified”,
meaning that it can invest more of its assets in a smaller number of issuers. Accordingly, changes in the value of a single security may have a more significant effect, either negative or positive, on the Portfolio’s NAV.
 
•
 
Management Risk:
The Portfolio is subject to management risk because it is an actively-managed investment fund. The Adviser will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Portfolio, but there is no guarantee that its techniques will produce the intended results. Some of these techniques may incorporate, or rely upon, quantitative models, but there is no guarantee that these models will generate accurate forecasts, reduce risk or otherwise perform as expected.
As with all investments, you may lose money by investing in the Portfolio.
Risk Lose Money [Text] rr_RiskLoseMoney As with all investments, you may lose money by investing in the Portfolio.
Risk Nondiversified Status [Text] rr_RiskNondiversifiedStatus Non-Diversification Risk: The Portfolio may have more risk because it is “non-diversified”, meaning that it can invest more of its assets in a smaller number of issuers. Accordingly, changes in the value of a single security may have a more significant effect, either negative or positive, on the Portfolio’s NAV.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading] rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading BAR CHART AND PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
Performance Narrative [Text Block] rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock
The bar chart and performance information provide an indication of the historical risk of an investment in the Portfolio by showing:
 
•
 
how the Portfolio’s performance changed from year to year over the life of the Portfolio; and
 
•
 
how the Portfolio’s average annual returns for one year, five years and since inception compare to those of a broad-based securities market index.
The performance information does not take into account separate account charges. If separate account charges were included, an investor’s return would be lower. The Portfolio’s past performance, of course, does not necessarily indicate how it will perform in the future.​​​​​​​
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text] rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns how the Portfolio’s performance changed from year to year over the life of the Portfolio; andhow the Portfolio’s average annual returns for one year, five years and since inception compare to those of a broad-based securities market index.
Performance Additional Market Index [Text] rr_PerformanceAdditionalMarketIndex The information for the composite index is presented to show how the Portfolio’s performance compares with the returns of an index of securities similar to those in which the Portfolio invests.
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text] rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture The Portfolio’s past performance, of course, does not necessarily indicate how it will perform in the future.
Bar Chart [Heading] rr_BarChartHeading Bar Chart
Bar Chart Does Not Reflect Sales Loads [Text] rr_BarChartDoesNotReflectSalesLoads The performance information does not take into account separate account charges. If separate account charges were included, an investor’s return would be lower. The Portfolio’s past performance, of course, does not necessarily indicate how it will perform in the future.
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block] rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock Calendar Year End (%) During the period shown in the bar chart, the Portfolio's: Best Quarter was up 7.97%, 1st quarter, 2019; and Worst Quarter was down -13.06%, 1st quarter, 2020.
Performance Table Heading rr_PerformanceTableHeading Performance Table Average Annual Total Returns (For the periods ended December 31, 2020)
Class A Shares | AB Global Risk Allocation-Moderate Portfolio | Class A  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) rr_ShareholderFeeOther
Management Fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.60%
Other Expenses: Transfer Agent rr_Component1OtherExpensesOverAssets none [1]
Other Expenses rr_Component3OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.35%
Total Other Expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.35%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets 0.06%
Total Portfolio Operating Expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 1.01%
Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets (0.26%) [2]
Total Portfolio Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement rr_NetExpensesOverAssets 0.75%
After 1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 $ 77
After 3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 296
After 5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 533
After 10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 $ 1,213
2011 rr_AnnualReturn2011
2012 rr_AnnualReturn2012
2013 rr_AnnualReturn2013
2014 rr_AnnualReturn2014
2015 rr_AnnualReturn2015
2016 rr_AnnualReturn2016 4.39%
2017 rr_AnnualReturn2017 11.87%
2018 rr_AnnualReturn2018 (4.62%)
2019 rr_AnnualReturn2019 17.61%
2020 rr_AnnualReturn2020 2.72%
Highest Quarterly Return, Label rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel Best Quarter
Highest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate Mar. 31, 2019
Highest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn 7.97%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel Worst Quarter
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate Mar. 31, 2020
Lowest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn (13.06%)
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 2.72%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 6.12%
Since Inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 4.23% [3]
Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Apr. 28, 2015
Class A Shares | AB Global Risk Allocation-Moderate Portfolio | MSCI World Index (net) (U.S. Dollar hedged) (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 14.27%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 12.30%
Since Inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 9.71% [3]
Class A Shares | AB Global Risk Allocation-Moderate Portfolio | 60% MSCI World Index (U.S. Dollar hedged)/40% Bloomberg Barclays Global G7 Treasury Index (U.S. Dollar hedged) (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 11.41% [4]
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 9.26% [4]
Since Inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 7.51% [3],[4]
[1] Amount is less than .01%.
[2] The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its management fees and/or to bear certain expenses of the Portfolio (including the Portfolio’s proportionate share of the fees and expenses of registered investment companies or series thereof in which the Portfolio invests) through May 1, 2022 to the extent necessary to prevent total Portfolio operating expenses (excluding interest expense, taxes, extraordinary expenses, expenses associated with securities sold short, and brokerage commissions and other transaction costs), on an annualized basis, from exceeding .75% of average daily net assets (“expense limitation”). The expense limitation will remain in effect until May 1, 2022 and may only be terminated or changed with the consent of the Portfolio’s Board of Directors. In addition, the expense limitation will be automatically extended for one-year terms unless the Adviser provides notice of termination to the Portfolio at least 60 days prior to the end of the period.
[3] Since inception return is from April 28, 2015.
[4] The information for the composite index is presented to show how the Portfolio’s performance compares with the returns of an index of securities similar to those in which the Portfolio invests.