Overview
Runway Gen-4.5, announced on December 1, 2025, represents a significant leap in AI video generation. According to Runway, the model achieved an Elo score of 1,247 and ranked #1 on the Artificial Analysis Text-to-Video leaderboard as of November 30, 2025, ranking above models such as Google Veo 3 and OpenAI Sora 2 Pro. Developed in collaboration with NVIDIA, Gen-4.5 focuses on making AI-generated video move from "expressive" to "believable" through enhanced physics simulation, superior visual fidelity, and precise prompt adherence.
The model is designed for professional creators, filmmakers, and content producers who need cinematic-quality video generation with minimal retakes. Gen-4.5 generates videos at 720p resolution, 24fps, in durations of 5, 8, or 10 seconds, and maintains the same generation speed as Gen-4 while delivering substantial improvements in motion quality and temporal consistency.
What's New
Industry-Leading Performance
Runway reports that Gen-4.5 achieved an Elo score of 1,247 and ranked #1 on the Artificial Analysis Text-to-Video benchmark as of November 30, 2025. The Artificial Analysis Video Arena ranks models using Elo scores based on crowdsourced user preferences, with Gen-4.5 ranking above competing models including Google Veo 3, Kling 2.5, and OpenAI Sora 2 Pro at that time.
Enhanced Physics Simulation
The model demonstrates significant improvements in understanding and rendering realistic physics. Objects now exhibit believable weight, momentum, and inertia—liquids flow with proper dynamics, collisions appear grounded in real-world force, and materials like fabric or hair maintain consistency across complex movements. This advancement addresses one of the core challenges in AI video generation: making virtual elements interact as if governed by physical laws.
Superior Visual Fidelity
Gen-4.5 produces sharper imagery with realistic lighting and texture consistency. Fine details such as hair strands and fabric weaves remain coherent across frames, reducing the "jittering" or morphing effects common in earlier models. The model excels at maintaining visual permanence even in dense, multi-element scenes with rapid camera motion.
Precise Prompt Adherence
The model handles complex, multi-element scenes and specific camera choreography with high reliability. Users can execute detailed instructions like "panning and trucking across a kitchen table" or place multiple subjects within a scene with accurate spatial relationships. This improvement enables creators to achieve their vision with fewer iterations and retakes.
Technical Specifications
Gen-4.5 currently supports text-to-video generation with the following specifications:
- Resolution: 720p
- Frame Rate: 24fps
- Duration Options: 5, 8, or 10 seconds per generation
- Plan Requirement: Standard tier and above
Runway has indicated that additional control modes, including Image-to-Video, Video-to-Video, and Keyframe-guided generation, are planned for future integration with Gen-4.5. Longer sequences can be created by stitching multiple generations together in post-production workflows.
Authentic Character Expressions
Gen-4.5 captures nuanced facial expressions and natural gestures, making AI-generated characters appear more lifelike and emotionally resonant. Runway highlights improvements in rendering expressive characters with subtle emotional details, bridging the gap between synthetic and human performances.
NVIDIA Partnership and Technical Foundation
Runway states that Gen-4.5 was developed entirely on NVIDIA GPUs, with inference running on NVIDIA Hopper and Blackwell series GPUs. This collaboration with NVIDIA focuses on optimizing video diffusion model training and inference to deliver high-quality results without increasing generation time compared to Gen-4.
Adobe Firefly Integration
On December 18, 2025, Adobe and Runway announced that Gen-4.5 is available via the Adobe Firefly web app. This integration enables workflow connectivity, allowing creators to generate videos with Gen-4.5 in Firefly and then move results into Adobe creative tools like Premiere Pro and After Effects for editing and post-production.
Pricing & Plans
Runway Gen-4.5 operates on a credit-based pricing system, with generation costing 25 credits per second of video output. This rate applies across all subscription tiers and represents the premium positioning of the model compared to earlier generations.
Subscription Tiers
Free Plan
- Cost: $0
- Credits: 125 (one-time allocation)
- Gen-4.5 Access: Not available (requires Standard plan or higher)
- Best for: Testing the platform with Gen-4 Turbo and other basic features
Standard Plan
- Cost: $12/user/month (annual billing) or $15/user/month (monthly billing)
- Credits: 625/month
- Gen-4.5 Output: Approximately 25 seconds per month
- Features: Watermark removal, higher resolution exports
- Best for: Occasional creators and small projects
Pro Plan
- Cost: $28/user/month (annual billing) or $35/user/month (monthly billing)
- Credits: 2,250/month
- Gen-4.5 Output: Approximately 90 seconds per month
- Features: All Standard features plus expanded capabilities like custom voices and larger storage
- Best for: Regular content creators and small production teams
Unlimited Plan
- Cost: $76/user/month (annual billing) or $95/user/month (monthly billing)
- Credits: 2,250/month base allocation
- Gen-4.5 Output: 90 seconds at full speed, plus unlimited generations via Explore Mode (at a relaxed processing rate)
- Features: All Pro features plus Explore Mode for unlimited relaxed-rate generations
- Best for: High-volume creators and production studios
Enterprise Plan
- Cost: Custom pricing
- Credits: Custom allocation
- Features: Dedicated support, custom integrations, team management, API access
- Best for: Large organizations and enterprise production pipelines
Credit System Details
- Monthly Reset: Credits refresh on your billing date and do not roll over to the next month
- Additional Credits: Users can purchase extra credits (minimum 1,000), which do not expire
- Shared Credits: In team workspaces, credits are pooled across all users rather than allocated individually
- Model Comparison: Gen-4.5 costs 25 credits/second, compared to Gen-4 (12 credits/second), Gen-4 Turbo (5 credits/second), and Gen-3 Alpha (10 credits/second)
Additional Costs
- 4K Upscaling: 2 credits per second
- Video Stitching: Per Runway's credits table for post-processing
- Audio Tools: Separate credits for Text-to-Speech, sound effects, and audio extraction (Runway supports audio tools as separate features, not native to Gen-4.5 video generation)
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Industry-leading benchmark performance — Ranked #1 on Artificial Analysis leaderboard with 1,247 Elo (as of Nov 30, 2025), demonstrating strong competitive positioning
- Enhanced physics realism — Objects exhibit believable weight, momentum, and interaction, addressing a core limitation of earlier AI video models
- Superior visual consistency — Fine details like hair strands and fabric textures remain coherent across frames, reducing artifacts and morphing
- Precise prompt adherence — Handles complex multi-element scenes and specific camera movements with high reliability, minimizing iteration cycles
- Same generation speed as Gen-4 — Performance improvements achieved without increasing latency or processing time
- Adobe Firefly integration — Available through Adobe Firefly web app with workflow connectivity to Premiere Pro and After Effects
- NVIDIA optimization — Built entirely on NVIDIA GPU infrastructure for efficient training and inference
Cons
- High credit cost — At 25 credits per second, Gen-4.5 is 2.08× more expensive than Gen-4 and 5× more expensive than Gen-4 Turbo
- Limited monthly output on lower tiers — Standard plan provides only ~25 seconds of Gen-4.5 video per month, restricting practical use for regular creators
- Text-to-Video only at launch — Currently supports only text-to-video generation; Image-to-Video, Video-to-Video, and Keyframes are planned for future release
- Short video duration per generation — Maximum generation length is 10 seconds per clip; longer sequences require stitching multiple outputs
- Requires Standard plan or higher — Free plan does not include Gen-4.5 access, limiting entry-level exploration
- Known AI limitations — Runway documents challenges including occasional causal reasoning errors, object permanence issues, and success bias in action outcomes
- No credit rollover — Unused monthly credits expire at billing cycle end, reducing value for inconsistent usage patterns
Best For
- Professional filmmakers and video producers requiring cinematic-quality AI-generated footage with enhanced physics realism and prompt adherence
- Marketing teams and advertising agencies creating high-fidelity product demonstrations or brand content with complex camera choreography
- Video editors using Adobe Premiere Pro or After Effects who want workflow integration via Adobe Firefly
- Production studios with high-volume video needs who can leverage the Unlimited plan's Explore Mode for rapid iteration
- Content creators with budget for premium models (Standard plan or higher) who prioritize benchmark-leading quality
- Creators needing short-form video content (5-10 seconds) with the option to stitch multiple generations for longer sequences
FAQ
How does Gen-4.5 compare to Gen-4 in terms of quality and cost?
Gen-4.5 delivers measurably higher quality in physics simulation, visual fidelity, and prompt adherence, ranking 21 Elo points higher than competitors on independent benchmarks. However, it costs 25 credits per second compared to Gen-4's 12 credits per second—a 2.08× price increase. For projects requiring maximum realism and fewer retakes, the quality improvement justifies the cost; for budget-sensitive or high-volume work, Gen-4 or Gen-4 Turbo remain viable alternatives.
Can I use Gen-4.5 with existing control modes like Image-to-Video or Keyframes?
As of the current release, Gen-4.5 supports text-to-video generation only. Runway has indicated that additional control modes including Image-to-Video, Video-to-Video, and Keyframe-guided generation are planned for future integration with Gen-4.5. Check the Runway Help Center for the latest availability updates on these features.
What are the current limitations of Gen-4.5?
Runway documents several known limitations: (1) causal reasoning errors where effects may occasionally precede causes, (2) object permanence issues where elements can vanish when obscured, and (3) success bias where the model tends to favor successful outcomes over intentional failures. Additionally, Gen-4.5 currently supports only text-to-video generation with durations of 5-10 seconds per clip, requiring stitching for longer sequences. Image-to-Video and other control modes are planned for future release.
How long does it take to generate a video with Gen-4.5?
Gen-4.5 maintains the same generation speed as Gen-4, typically producing a 5-10 second clip in 1-2 minutes depending on server load. The model achieves its quality improvements through optimization rather than increased processing time, making it practical for iterative creative workflows. Generation times may vary based on complexity and platform demand.
How does the Adobe Firefly integration work?
The Adobe Firefly integration announced on December 18, 2025, makes Gen-4.5 available through the Adobe Firefly web app. Creators can generate videos with Gen-4.5 in Firefly and then import results into Adobe tools like Premiere Pro and After Effects for editing and post-production. This provides workflow connectivity between Runway's generation capabilities and Adobe's editing ecosystem. Specific plan requirements and licensing details should be verified with Adobe and Runway.
