# xAI's Grok Imagine 1.5 turns a still into video — and stakes a claim in the generative-video race

> On 3 June 2026 xAI released grok-imagine-video-1.5-preview, an image-to-video model, via its API.

*A preview model that animates a single photo, at up to 720p, puts xAI squarely in the fastest-moving corner of the field.*

By WireRead Editorial · WireRead
Canonical: https://wireread.com/ai-models/xai-grok-imagine-1-5-image-to-video

On **3 June 2026**, xAI made **`grok-imagine-video-1.5-preview`** — its latest image-to-video model — available in **preview via the xAI API**. The pitch, per xAI, is straightforward and ambitious: feed it a single still image and it returns **fluid, cinematic video**, complete with camera moves, atmosphere and a sense of physics, while staying faithful to the source — at up to **720p**.

## What it does

Image-to-video is one of the most competitive frontiers in generative AI right now, and 'faithful to the source' is the hard part — animating a still without distorting the subject. xAI frames Grok Imagine 1.5 as doing exactly that. As a **preview**, it is an early, evolving release rather than a finished product, and the quality claims are xAI's own until independently tested.

> **Key:** **The pattern:** this follows a **May** launch of a **'Quality Mode'** for image generation and editing, offered to enterprise and teams via the Grok Imagine API. Read together, xAI is building out a full image-and-video creative stack on its API — not a one-off demo.

## The wider context

For context — and attributed to xAI — its flagship language model **Grok 4.3** is priced at **$1.25/M input and $2.50/M output**, with configurable reasoning effort. That positions xAI as competing on price as well as capability across both its text and creative-media lines. The strategic read on Grok Imagine 1.5 is less about any single clip and more about xAI assembling a credible, API-first creative toolkit alongside the labs it's chasing.

## Key takeaways

- xAI released grok-imagine-video-1.5-preview on 3 June 2026, in preview via the xAI API.
- It turns a single still image into fluid, cinematic video — camera moves, atmosphere, physics — at up to 720p.
- It follows a May launch of a 'Quality Mode' for image generation/editing for enterprise/teams.
- xAI says its flagship model, Grok 4.3, is priced $1.25/M input and $2.50/M output.

## FAQ

### What is Grok Imagine 1.5?
It's xAI's latest image-to-video model (grok-imagine-video-1.5-preview), released in preview via the xAI API on 3 June 2026. It animates a single still image into cinematic video at up to 720p, per xAI.

### Is it a finished product?
No — it's a preview, meaning an early, evolving release. The capability claims are xAI's own and warrant independent testing before being treated as established.

### How does it relate to Grok 4.3?
Grok 4.3 is xAI's flagship language model (priced $1.25/M input, $2.50/M output, per xAI); Grok Imagine 1.5 is a separate image-to-video model. Together they form xAI's broader API offering.