Grok Imagine Video 1.5 — Native 1080p + Synchronized Audio

August 9, 2026

xAI's new flagship video model joins Video Lab. Grok Imagine Video 1.5 renders native 1080p with synchronized native audio (dialogue, SFX, ambience) and follows subject and camera direction noticeably better than the base model — while the original Grok Imagine stays available as the fast, cheap draft tier.

What you can do

• Pin the flagship with provider: "xai", xai_model: "grok-imagine-video-1.5" — 1–15 seconds at 480p/720p/1080p, seven aspect ratios (1:1, 16:9, 9:16, 4:3, 3:4, 3:2, 2:3).
• Get synchronized native audio baked into the MP4 — spoken lines, sound effects, and ambience timed to the action.
• Direct the camera and subject in plain English and have 1.5 actually follow it (slow orbit, rack focus, handheld push-in).
• Use up to 7 reference images for reference-to-video on either xAI model.
• Keep drafting on the base grok-imagine-video (480p/720p) — it stays the default for xai_model: "auto" and the auto fallback chain, so nothing gets more expensive unless you ask for 1.5.

Where this shows up

You liked an xAI draft but need it deliverable. Re-run the same prompt on 1.5 at 1080p instead of settling for 720p or switching providers.

You want a dialogue clip where the line lands on the lip movement. 1.5's synchronized audio holds timing much better than the base model.

Try it

• "Render a 10-second 1080p storefront reveal with ambient street sound — slow push-in. Use xAI Grok Imagine 1.5."
• "Same prompt as the last clip, but on grok-imagine-video-1.5 at 1080p."
• "6-second clip of this character still saying 'we're live' — xAI 1.5, native audio."

Heads up

• Reference-to-video requests on 1.5 cap at 720p; plain text-to-video and image-to-video get the full 1080p.
• A 1080p request on the base model is clamped to 720p with a note — pin 1.5 when resolution matters.
• xAI duration pricing is unchanged: ≈3M tokens for 1–8s, ≈5.5M for 9–15s, either model.