Google has blurred the lines between reality and imagination in video creation. Social media feeds are exploding with jaw-dropping clips, with perfect lip sync, sounds, and actions. All are generated by a single AI tool. People find themselves asking, “Is this real?” NO, it’s Veo 3! Google’s latest leap, unveiled at Google I/O 2025. Which hasn’t just raised the bar but has redefined what’s possible. It surpasses competitors like Runway and Sora by combining visual fidelity, audio realism, and storytelling flexibility. Creating an era where storytelling is limited only by imagination. This article will uncover the video generation capabilities of Veo 3 and compare them with its contemporaries.
Table of contents
What Is Veo 3?
Veo 3 is the latest AI-powered video generator from Google. Created by Google DeepMind, Veo 3 turns straightforward text or image prompts into cinematic-quality HD videos. Now with integration of native audio, it does more than create gorgeous images; it also creates synced sound, voice dialogue, background music, natural environment sounds, and animal sounds from a single prompt. Additionally, it works within an understanding of real-world physics, natural light, and very precise lip-syncing to produce outputs that look and feel convincingly real.
Currently available only in the U.S. through Google’s new AI filmmaking platform, Flow, and for Gemini Ultra subscribers.
Features of Veo 3
Here are the features of Veo 3:
- Native Audio Generation: Veo 3 produces sync audio, such as dialogues, voice-overs, sound effects, ambient sound, and background music from text or image inputs. A feature that both Sora and Runway lack.
- High-Quality Cinematic Output: Veo 3 produces a crisp, realistic image that complies with real-world physics, natural lighting, and precise lip syncing, rendering videos more realistic.
- Advanced Prompting: It addresses lengthy text instructions and action sequences with great accuracy, delivering users’ detailed scenes with accurate video outputs.
- Image and style control: The system supports referencing images for consistency in styles, characters, or scenes, facilitating more creative freedom over the visual appearance and atmosphere of the video.
- Camera Movement and Transition Control: It provides customizable camera movements like pans, zooms, and rotations for creating dynamic cinematic movements.
How to Access Veo?
Step 1. Subscribe to the Google AI Ultra Plan
To gain access to Veo 3, subscribe to the AI Ultra plan. This costs $249.99 per month and is available at present only in the U.S. This plan opens up highly useful tools, such as Veo 3’s strong video and audio generation capabilities.
Step 2. Open the Gemini App
Next, open the Gemini app on your device. This is your go-to for using Veo 3 and other Google AI tools.
Step 3. Choose the Video Option
In the app’s prompt bar, look for the “video” button if you can’t find one, just tap the three dots to find more options.
Step 4. Write Your Prompt and Generate Video
Now comes the fun part: type in what you want the video to include! When you’re ready, tap “Generate” and let Veo 3 do the magic.
Other Ways to Access Veo 3
Use Google Flow
You can use Google Flow, which is a part of the Ultra Plan, as another way to access Veo 3.
Accessing Enterprise through Vertex AI
If you are a business or a developer, you can also access Veo 3 through Google Vertex AI by requesting access, filling out an early access form, and using the API to integrate it into your systems.
Note: Veo 3 is currently only for individuals in the United States, but will be coming soon to other countries.
Veo 3 Against Its Competitors
Let’s compare Veo 3 with some other tools like Sora and Runway.
| Feature | Veo 3 | Sora (OpenAI) | Runway (Gen-3 Alpha) |
| Quality: 4K Generation | Yes | No (up to 1080p) | No (up to 1080p, some QHD/2K) |
| Video Duration | 8s (Flow), 30s+ (API/Enterprise) | Up to 60s (Pro), 20s (Plus) | Up to 10s (free), 15s (paid), 16s (extend) |
| Animation vs Real | Realistic, cinematic | Realistic, hyperrealistic | Stylized, artistic, with some realism |
| Colours | Cinematic, natural, vibrant | Lifelike, detailed | Artistic, customizable, vibrant |
| Audio | Native, synchronized (dialogue, SFX, music) | No native audio | Post-sync only, sound effects option |
| Resolution | 4K | 1080p (max) | 1080p (max), some 2K/QHD |
| Asset/Character Consistency | Yes, with references and Flow asset management | Partial, workaround-based | Partial, improving |
| Camera Control | Advanced (pans, tilts, depth, transitions) | Basic | Basic to moderate |
| Pricing & Access | $249.99/month (AI Ultra, US only); Enterprise via Vertex AI | $20/month (Plus), $200/month (Pro, Beta) | $35/month (Standard), $144–$1,500/yr |
Of all the available AI video generators out there, none offer true native synchronized audio and cinematic realism to the level that Veo 3 does. Neither Sora nor Runway offers the true native features that Veo 3 does. While Sora does offer longer, hyperrealistic videos, it is also limited to 1080p, has no internal audio, and lacks built-in audio. Runway is affordable and the most flexible with artistic styles. Sora and Runway, on the other hand, cater to a diverse demographic of creators and offer set lower prices, in contrast to premium cutting-edge tools designed for professionals like Veo 3.
Hands-On with Veo 3
Prompt: ”Inside a tranquil cave temple is a group of Buddhist monks in saffron robes meditating in silence around a central statue of a Buddha. Soft candlelight flickers, softly illuminating the aged stone walls, adorned with faded murals, while shadows dance across the temple space. The ambience is peaceful with low sounds of soft chanting, far-off dripping water, and the soft echo of the cave.”
Monks meditating in a cave temple:
Source: Twitter
Prompt: ”A glamorous jazz singer performs on a small stage in a smoky, dimly lit jazz club reminiscent of the 1940’s. She is dressed in a vintage evening gown with sequins, standing near a vintage chrome microphone. Patrons dressed in formal 1940’s attire are seated at round candlelit tables, sipping cocktails, and watching the singer. A live jazz band is playing along with her.“
A 1940s singer in a jazz club:
Source: Twitter
Prompt: ”A vintage CRT television from the 1980’s is the center of a dimly lit retro living room. The television flickers into life with static, then cycles through several channels. Each channel shows a short, distinct clip: a black-and-white cartoon, a 90’s-style music video, a noisy grainy news report, a low-budget cheesy sci-fi movie, and a late-night talk show. “
Various TV shows:
Source: Twitter
Conclusion
Veo adds a cinematic twist to the future of storytelling. It is an unmatched 4K visual tool, combined with native audio generation and precision over style and motion, which is an absolute game changer. While Sora and Runway are serving the creative world well, Veo 3 is a rule breaker for professionals seeking realism, immersion, and versatility.
Data Scientist | AWS Certified Solutions Architect | AI & ML Innovator
As a Data Scientist at Analytics Vidhya, I specialize in Machine Learning, Deep Learning, and AI-driven solutions, leveraging NLP, computer vision, and cloud technologies to build scalable applications.
With a B.Tech in Computer Science (Data Science) from VIT and certifications like AWS Certified Solutions Architect and TensorFlow, my work spans Generative AI, Anomaly Detection, Fake News Detection, and Emotion Recognition. Passionate about innovation, I strive to develop intelligent systems that shape the future of AI.
