Google Vids opens free 1080p AI video generation to all users

September 26, 2026 at 06:01 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Google made 1080p AI video generation free for anyone with a Google or Workspace account on September 23. The feature runs on Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash and adds scene extension, exact clip duration, and HD upscaling. The rollout coincided with OpenAI shutting down its Sora API.

Key Facts

Google Vids now offers free 1080p AI video generation and upscaling to anyone with a Google or Workspace account at vids.new.
The feature runs on Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash and adds controls for scene extension, exact clip duration, and HD output.
Every generated clip carries an invisible SynthID watermark readable by Google's SynthID Detector.
The free rollout landed the same day OpenAI's Sora API went dark for good.
Google previously cut its Veo 3.1 Lite API pricing to $0.05 per second.

Free HD Video Generation

Google announced on September 23 that anyone with a Google account can generate full HD videos for free inside Google Vids, the company's browser-based video editor. The tool runs on Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash, an AI model that turns text prompts, photos, audio, or existing clips into new video footage. Users can access the feature at vids.new and generate in 1080p, the same resolution most streaming platforms use, at no cost. Personal Google accounts get a standard allowance, while Google's paid AI plans and Workspace Business and Enterprise subscribers unlock larger generation pools and admin controls.

Editing Controls and Watermarking

Google added scene extension, which lengthens a clip while keeping lighting, characters, and setting consistent. Users can set an exact scene duration to line up with a script or voiceover, and upscale older lower-resolution AI clips to 1080p instead of regenerating them. Every video the tool produces carries SynthID, a Google DeepMind watermark invisible to the eye but readable by machines, embedded directly into the video frames. Anyone can check whether a clip was AI-made by running it through Google's SynthID Detector.

Market Context

The free rollout landed the same day OpenAI's Sora API went dark for good. Google had already cut its Veo 3.1 Lite API pricing to $0.05 per second. Gemini Omni first launched in May 2026 as a paid feature for Google AI Plus, Pro, and Ultra subscribers, with free access limited to YouTube Shorts and YouTube Create.