video, quality mode etc.

Elon Musk told his over 200 million followers to try out the latest Grok Imagine. If you haven’t checked in recently, you’re missing out on a lot. xAI’s image and video generation tools have undergone a series of rapid upgrades since early 2026, quietly becoming one of the most capable AI creative platforms available. Here’s a summary of the most important changes:

▶ Watch videos on X

New features in Grok Imagine

1. Grok Imagine 1.5 Preview — Now Available

xAI officially announced the Grok Imagine 1.5 preview on June 3, 2026, and the release was officially noted in xAI’s own release notes on June 11. This is the version that Mask is currently pointing to users. It is built on the Aurora-2 engine foundation introduced earlier this year and represents the current state-of-the-art of the platform’s image generation capabilities.

2. The arrival of complete video generation

This is the heading function. On June 5, Musk shared a demonstration that confirms that Grok Imagine has expanded far beyond still images to full video generation. This is a huge leap from its image-only origins. The underlying Grok Imagine 1.0 model, powered by the Aurora-2 engine, produces clips of up to 10-30 seconds at a native resolution of 4 megapixels. At 720p, video generation via the API costs $0.07 per second (a 10-second clip costs about $0.70). Although a formal announcement via official xAI release notes is still pending, this feature is live.

3. Quality mode and speed mode

Quality mode, introduced around May 22nd, is one of the most practical additions for those who use Grok Imagine for real-world creative work. Compared to Speed ​​mode, it provides sharper textures, more accurate lighting, and, importantly, dramatically improved text rendering within the generated images. If you’re having trouble with garbled AI-generated visuals, it’s worth switching to quality mode immediately.

4. Aurora-2 engine and 4 megapixel output

As of April 22, Grok Imagine 1.0 is powered by xAI’s proprietary Aurora-2 engine, pushes the native 4-megapixel resolution of images, and includes integrated “Voice Doctor” audio synthesis for audio-visual synchronization on video output. Audio is described as context-aware. This means that the system generates sounds that match the visual content rather than applying a generic soundtrack.

5. “Extend from frame” for continuous sequences

The feature, introduced on March 2, allows users to chain video clips so that each new generation plays exactly where the previous one left off. Each clip can run for up to 15 seconds, allowing you to build longer continuous visual sequences without jarring cuts. This is especially useful for storytelling and product demonstration workflows where continuity is important.

6. Game asset prototyping workflow

In May, xAI formally demonstrated a game asset prototyping pipeline that concatenates Grok Imagine image generation and image-to-video models to generate animated game characters. This shows that xAI is positioning Grok Imagine not just as a consumer novelty, but as a legitimate tool for professional creative and development workflows.

7. APIs are open – transparent pricing

The Grok Imagine API was released on January 28, 2026, giving developers access to a complete creative pipeline. Current pricing: $0.02 per image for text to image conversion, $0.022 per image for image editing, $0.05/s (480p) or $0.07/s (720p) for video generation. For teams building AI-assisted creative tools, this is an easy entry point into the xAI generation stack.

conclusion

Grok Imagine quickly transitioned from a basic image generator to a complete video production platform with pro-grade features in less than six months. Musk’s urging to “try the latest thing” isn’t just a casual post. The 1.5 preview is a completely different product than the last one most users tested. If you haven’t opened Grok Imagine since the beginning of this year, the gap between then and now is large enough to give you a fresh look.

---

Sources verified at time of publication. Spot an inaccuracy? Email editor@basenor.com.