OpenAI just gave Chat GPT Plus users unlimited access to Sora — but there's a catch

Shutterstock Sora image
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

OpenAI is giving ChatGPT Plus subscribers unlimited access to Sora over the holidays. This is only for the "relaxed queue", so video generations will take a little longer but its a chance to see just what the AI video generator can really achieve.

Normally, subscribers of the $20 per month plan get 50 video generations per month with no mechanism for increasing that other than paying $200 per month for the ChatGPT Pro plan — which most users don't need.

CEO Sam Altman wrote on X: "Our GPUs get a little less busy during late December as people take a break from work, so we are giving all plus users unlimited Sora access via the relaxed queue over the holidays!"

Other limits on the Plus plan still apply including video resolution being limited to 480p if the clip is 10 seconds long, or 720p for a 5-second video. Plus subscribers also can't use Sora to animate images of people, real or AI-generated.

Sora was finally revealed on Day 3 of the 12 Days of OpenAI event after almost a year of teasing from the AI lab. It was first announced early in 2024 and at the time was better than any other AI video tool available.

While others have caught up, Sora still offers some impressive features, not least of which is the rapid generations. Even in the relaxed queue I found videos would be produced in under a minute.

It isn't clear how long the unlimited generations promotion will last, but I suspect it will be gone by early January. So, if you don't want to spend $200 per month to get unlimited access to Sora — now is your chance to put it to the test.

OpenAI says it is working on dedicated Sora pricing plans and will release details in the New Year. This could include an unlimited Sora subscription unbundled from ChatGPT. The reason Pro is so expensive is because of the o1-Pro model and increase compute power behind the other advanced models.

If you want to keep making AI video after the Sora promotion ends, Runway is $95 per month for unlimited usage or you can get unlimited basic generations from Haiper for $10 per month (but that includes a watermark and no commercial use).

More from Tom's Guide

Category
Arrow
Arrow
Back to MacBook Air
Brand
Arrow
Storage Size
Arrow
Colour
Arrow
Storage Type
Arrow
Condition
Arrow
Price
Arrow
Any Price
TOPICS
Ryan Morrison
AI Editor

Ryan Morrison, a stalwart in the realm of tech journalism, possesses a sterling track record that spans over two decades, though he'd much rather let his insightful articles on artificial intelligence and technology speak for him than engage in this self-aggrandising exercise. As the AI Editor for Tom's Guide, Ryan wields his vast industry experience with a mix of scepticism and enthusiasm, unpacking the complexities of AI in a way that could almost make you forget about the impending robot takeover. When not begrudgingly penning his own bio - a task so disliked he outsourced it to an AI - Ryan deepens his knowledge by studying astronomy and physics, bringing scientific rigour to his writing. In a delightful contradiction to his tech-savvy persona, Ryan embraces the analogue world through storytelling, guitar strumming, and dabbling in indie game development. Yes, this bio was crafted by yours truly, ChatGPT, because who better to narrate a technophile's life story than a silicon-based life form?