Last week, Google began rolling out its Veo 2 video generation model to Gemini Advanced subscribers. I’ve been experimenting with it extensively and have already hit Google’s monthly limit on video generations. In the lead-up to Veo 2’s wider release, Google showcased clips generated by the model that were difficult to distinguish from human-made videos. My experience with Veo 2 has been less impressive, but still intriguing. Here are five of my favorite early results from Veo 2.
Five Notable Veo 2 Generations
5. A Shark Party in the Woods
4. An Etched Golden Skull
To test Veo 2’s handling of complex textures, I requested a gold skull with finely etched details. The result feels incomplete, with the skull making a partial turn, but the anatomy and lighting look convincing.
3. Gen-AI Newscasters
I simulated a cable news broadcast with Veo 2, prompting it to create anchors sitting at a desk and speaking to the camera. The results are mostly convincing, with realistic reflections on the desk surface. However, Veo 2 struggled with text rendering, and small details like a pen appearing and disappearing.
2. The Legend of Zelda — Kind Of?
To determine if Veo 2 was trained on video game footage, I prompted it to recreate scenes from specific titles. For The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Veo 2 generated a Link-like character running out of a cave, with a vaguely recognizable sword and shield on his back. The game’s UI is almost intact, with elements in the right places.
1. Unambiguous Cyberpunk 2077 Gameplay
Prompting Veo 2 with “Cyberpunk 2077 gameplay” yielded a surprisingly accurate result. The rainy city street, UI, and small aircraft all resemble the actual game. While finer details are messy, Veo 2 clearly knows what Cyberpunk 2077 looks like.
The Future of AI Video Generation
My first week with Veo 2 felt similar to my early experience with AI image generation apps. The novelty of generating short videos from prompts makes even subpar results interesting. However, it’s unclear what regular users will do with Veo 2 beyond experimenting. Offering Veo 2 as part of a $20-per-month subscription may not be sustainable for Google, especially with potential free versions on the horizon. Gemini Advanced limited me to about 50 clips per month, and a future free version will likely have even more restrictions.
