With the new Pixel 9 Pro models (that’s Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL), Google is giving everyone the ability to record video at 8K resolution. It works on both the primary and telephoto cameras too, sadly not on the ultrawide however.
Google’s 8K video option isn’t as straightforward as it might seem. On Samsung phones, you can just select 8K and start recording. That’s not quite how it works on the Pixel 9 Pro. Google being Google, you have to use Video Boost to get 8K resolution. In the end, it does give you much better quality video than a regular 8K video from a Samsung phone. So here’s how it works.
What is Video Boost?
Google debuted Video Boost with the Pixel 8 series last year. Essentially, it uploads your video to the cloud and then boosts it with better lighting, colors, and details. Now, with Pixel 9 Pro, you can upgrade it to 8K resolution. Unfortunately, Video Boost is only available on the Pixel 8 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL.
How to shoot 8K video on Google Pixel 9 Pro
The first thing you need to do is open the camera app.
Now, switch over to video.
Here, you will see an icon in the top left corner that shows either 4K or FHD, depending on your setting. Tap on that, and then tap on 8K.
Now, you can record your video.
After you’re done recording, you will need to have it backed up to Google Photos to make it 8K. You can do this manually if you want the boosted video sooner, otherwise, it’ll backup when you get onto WiFi as usual.
After it is backed up, you will get a notification a little while later, saying that your video is ready. This could take 30 minutes, it could take a few hours. It really depends on a bunch of factors, like how long the video is, how busy Google’s servers are, etc.
Once you get that notification, you can check out the 8K video. Which Google does allow you to save both the original and the new 8K option. Surprisingly, Google does record in 1080p, and boosts it to 8K, versus recording in 4K, which is a bit odd.
With Video Boost, you can get some really incredibly-looking videos out of your new Pixel 9 Pro.
So why is this not available on Pixel 9 non-Pro? We really have no idea. The camera is the exact same, unless Google is also using some data from the telephoto camera at the same time. Since the regular Pixel 9 only has primary and ultrawide. And all of the boosting is done in the cloud anyways.