Google just made AI video generation way more practical for developers. The company rolled out vertical video support and 1080p resolution for its Veo 3 AI generator while slashing prices by nearly 50%. This puts Google's video AI directly in competition with social media platforms hungry for mobile-first content.
Google just handed developers the keys to flood social media with AI-generated content. The search giant quietly rolled out major updates to its Veo 3 video generation platform, adding support for vertical 9:16 videos and 1080p resolution while cutting prices by nearly half.
The timing isn't coincidental. According to Google's developer blog announcement, both Veo 3 and its faster, cheaper sibling Veo 3 Fast now generate videos optimized for mobile screens and social platforms. Developers can trigger vertical video by setting the aspectRatio parameter to 9:16 in their API calls - a simple switch that could reshape how we consume video content.
The resolution bump to 1080p represents a significant quality leap from the previous 720p ceiling, though Neowin reports this enhancement currently only works for traditional 16:9 horizontal videos. Still, the improvements position Google's AI video generation as production-ready for mainstream applications.
More striking than the technical upgrades is Google's aggressive pricing strategy. Veo 3 generation now costs $0.40 per second, down from $0.75 - a 47% price cut that signals serious intent to capture developer mindshare. The budget-friendly Veo 3 Fast model dropped even more dramatically, from $0.40 to just $0.15 per second. Google describes both models as now "stable and ready for scaled production use in the Gemini API."
Google didn't just announce these changes - they demonstrated them with characteristic flair. The company showcased example videos in the new vertical format, including a rock climber delivering the perfect developer pitch: "Veo 3 is now, like, 50 percent cheaper and higher quality, so go build."
This vertical video push connects directly to Google's broader social media ambitions. The company announced in June that Veo 3 integration would hit YouTube Shorts "later this summer." Now developers have the tools to bring AI-generated content to competing platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels.
