The new Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL finally add a 4K 60fps HDR video feature. But Google’s exclusive Video Boost technology quietly turns it off, relying on algorithmically-generated frames instead.

The Pixel 11 Pro series introduces the ability to shoot 4K HDR video at 60fps, allowing for smoother motion and 2x slow-motion playback at a standard 30fps. Pixel fans have waited a long time for this feature, as it’s something the iPhone has supported as far back as the iPhone 12 Pro .

However, “Pro” Pixels also support Video Boost, an AI-powered technology that shoots in a special format and processes the video in the cloud to achieve Google’s best possible quality. It’s an effective strategy that led Dxomark to score the Pixel 11 Pro XL above the iPhone 17 Pro in its stand-alone Video Boost tests.

What Google doesn’t tell you is that if you shoot at 4K 60fps with HDR turned on and then activate Video Boost, the captured frame rate is silently downgraded to 30fps before it's uploaded to Google’s servers for processing. According to Google, Video Boost on the Pixel 11 Pro series uses the exact same pipeline as the Pixel 10 Pro XL. This pipeline maxes out at 30fps when recording 4K HDR video.

This means the Pixel 11 Pro’s 4K60 HDR recording mode is never used when deploying Video Boost, potentially losing motion information that can’t be recovered. Video Boost does return a 60fps video, just like on the Pixel 10 Pro series, but half of those frames are generated, not captured.

Testing Video Boost On The Pixel 11 Pro XL

I tested this by capturing a timer displayed on a 120Hz screen. When using a Pixel 11 Pro XL in standard mode, every frame of the 4K60 HDR recording showed a different time reading. In the final Video Boost version, every reading appeared twice in adjacent frames. The intermediate time readings aren’t there because they were never captured.

A Google representative confirmed this to me in an email:

“Yes, the 60fps support is done via 30fps + interpolation in Video Boost since we started supporting it in Pixel 2024.

Are the additional frames in the returned 60fps video file generated during cloud processing? Is it the same process as when selecting 4K60 (Video Boost) on a Pixel 10 Pro XL? - yes.”

Note that I’ve only tested “XL” variants of the Pixel Pro, though Google’s documentation treats the two identically as far as Video Boost is concerned.

What Google's Documentation Says

This frame-rate dropping functionality isn’t revealed to the user at capture time. Google’s support pages do state that Video Boost 60fps “may reduce frame rate dynamically based on the scene conditions and camera motions,” but this isn’t what I’m seeing here. In my tests, the captured video never exceeded 30fps. Selecting 4K60 HDR with Video Boost enabled in the camera app doesn’t reveal anything about the actual capture settings.

Google hasn’t stated a reason for applying this 30fps limit to the Pixel 11 Pro XL, and the company’s own Video Boost marketing page states “powerful AI algorithms remove graininess, stabilize movement, and adjust exposure and color,” while not mentioning frame interpolation at all.

Should You Turn Video Boost Off?

Fortunately, the resulting interpolated Video Boost output quality is excellent. Just be aware that recorded motion may not be as accurate as the standard “un-boosted,” true 60fps format, especially if you want to display slow-motion output.

For now, if you really need a true 4K60 HDR recording, leave Video Boost turned off.