Google Gemini vs ChatGPT: Who Creates Better ’90s Retro-Style “Nano Banana” AI Portraits?
Google Gemini vs ChatGPT: We tested both platforms with ’90s retro AI portrait prompts. See which one creates better vintage portraits with Pinterest vibes.
Comparison of ’90s retro-style AI portraits generated by Google Gemini and ChatGPT using the same prompt.
The internet’s latest obsession is transforming selfies into vintage-style AI portraits with nostalgic Pinterest vibes. From Studio Ghibli-inspired edits to Nano Banana figurines, AI-generated trends keep evolving—and the newest craze is ’90s retro portraits. But which platform delivers the best results: Google Gemini or ChatGPT?
The Experiment: Retro Portraits with the Same Prompt
To find out, we tested both platforms by generating ’90s-inspired retro portraits of a male and a female character using identical prompts. The outcomes were noticeably different.
Results: Gemini vs ChatGPT
- Gemini: Produced sharp, Pinterest-ready retro portraits that perfectly captured the ’90s aesthetic. It also outperformed in speed, delivering results in under 30 seconds.
- ChatGPT: While the portraits altered facial details, the platform excelled at backgrounds and lighting. However, it took 5–7 minutes to generate the results, making it slower in comparison.
Visual comparisons showed that Gemini stayed more faithful to the retro moodboards, while ChatGPT leaned more toward creative reinterpretation.
What Gemini AI Offers
- High-Resolution Image Generation: Creates cinematic, vintage, or 3D-style portraits directly from prompts.
- Era-Specific Styles: Can replicate 1940s noir, 1970s Polaroid aesthetics, and more.
- Instant Output: Generates downloadable images within seconds.
What ChatGPT Offers
- Prompt Creation: Excels at crafting detailed instructions for other image AIs.
- Scene & Style Descriptions: Can describe moods, lighting, and aesthetics in text.
- Concept Sketches: Limited to ASCII art or text-based visuals—not full-resolution images.
Limitation:
ChatGPT cannot directly generate polished images. Instead, it acts as a creative director, while Gemini functions as the AI painter that brings those directions to life.
Conclusion
For users chasing quick, accurate, and shareable retro portraits, Gemini clearly has the edge. But for those who need complex, detailed prompts to feed into other AI tools, ChatGPT is the better assistant. Together, they can complement each other—one creating the artistic vision, and the other delivering the visual result.
