Google pushed an update to Veo 3.1 on Tuesday that lets users generate vertical videos natively for the first time. The "Ingredients to Video" feature, which creates clips from reference images, now outputs in 9:16 without cropping, a direct play for YouTube Shorts, TikTok, and Instagram creators.
The more practical addition: upscaling to 1080p and 4K. Google says the model now produces "clearer, crisp" high-resolution output, though that's self-reported, and there's no independent comparison to competitors like Runway or Pika. The 4K option is only available on Flow, the Gemini API, and Vertex AI, not the consumer apps.
Character consistency gets the biggest technical focus. According to Google's blog post, the model better maintains identity across scenes, keeps backgrounds stable, and handles shorter prompts more gracefully. Veo 3.1 first launched in October 2025 with improved audio; this update builds on that foundation.
The features roll out now across the Gemini app, YouTube Shorts, Flow, Google Vids, the Gemini API, and Vertex AI. All generated videos include SynthID watermarks.
The Bottom Line: Google is optimizing Veo for mobile-first creators, but the real test is whether consistency improvements hold up outside Google's cherry-picked demos.
QUICK FACTS
- Native 9:16 vertical video output (no cropping)
- 4K upscaling available on Flow, Gemini API, Vertex AI
- 1080p option on all professional platforms
- SynthID watermarks embedded on all outputs
- Available in Gemini app, YouTube Shorts, YouTube Create app
