Tencent Hy4 is the company’s new 770-billion-parameter AI model, and its big trick is that it can look at your screen and operate software, not just chat. Tencent launched it on November 4, and you can try it free for a short window.
If you code, analyze spreadsheets or fiddle with 3D tools, it’s worth a quick test before the free period ends on November 15.
Here are the facts that matter, in one place.
- Launched November 4, 2026, as the full version of the earlier Hy4 preview.
- Size: 770 billion parameters, with vision and computer-use skills.
- Price: $0.834 per million input tokens and $2.501 per million output tokens.
- Free quota in Tencent’s WorkBuddy and CodeBuddy runs November 4 to 15.
- Open weights are promised “shortly,” but not released yet.
Short version: the free window is the cheap way to find out whether it fits your work.
What Tencent Hy4 can do that older text-only models couldn’t
According to TechNode, Hy4 adds visual understanding to the Hy line. It can read charts and documents, and it can reason across several images at once.
It can also run command-line tools and click through graphical interfaces. That’s the “computer use” part, and it means the model can carry out steps instead of only describing them.
Tencent says it trained the model on tasks in Blender, CAD software and workflows that span several programs. Its stated focus is office work, financial analysis and game development, with Tencent’s own product teams helping test it on real workflows.
Those are Tencent’s claims, though. We haven’t seen independent benchmarks yet, so treat the capability list as a promise until reviewers put it through real jobs.
Tencent Hy4 pricing: what it costs and where it’s free
Pricing is unchanged from the Hy4 preview. The table below shows where each deal applies and when it ends.
| Where | What you get | Until |
|---|---|---|
| Tencent WorkBuddy and CodeBuddy | Limited free usage quota | November 15 |
| Tencent Cloud TokenHub | 50% off the standard rate | December 31 |
| OpenRouter and other third-party platforms | Standard rate: $0.834 per million input tokens, $2.501 per million output tokens | No end date reported |
To make the numbers real: a job that sends 100,000 tokens in and gets 20,000 tokens back costs roughly 13 cents at the standard rate. On TokenHub with the discount, that drops to around 7 cents.
How to try it before November 15
The easiest route is the free quota in WorkBuddy or CodeBuddy. Those are Tencent’s own work and coding tools, so you don’t need to wire up an API key first.
If you already use a model router, TechNode reports Hy4 is also on OpenRouter. That’s the better path if you want to compare it against your current model on the same prompts.
A fair test takes about an hour. Pick tasks you’ve actually done recently, then compare results.
- A chart or PDF you’d normally summarize by hand.
- A small bug fix or script in a codebase you know well.
- A multi-step task across two apps, if you’re comfortable letting an AI drive.
Use a throwaway account or sample files for the third one. An AI that can click around your screen can also click the wrong thing.
Why the Tencent Hy4 price tag is the real story
Models that operate software burn far more tokens than models that answer questions. Every screenshot it reads and every command it runs adds to the bill.
That’s why a low per-token rate matters more here than it would for a chatbot. A cheap model that finishes a ten-step task is more useful than a sharper one that costs five times as much to run.
It’s also why the real test is cost per finished job, not the headline price. Count the retries too: if Hy4 needs three attempts where another model needs one, the savings shrink fast.
What isn’t confirmed yet
Three things are still open. The open weights and system card are “coming shortly,” per TechNode, with no date given.
A cheaper “flash” version is also planned, but there’s no release date. And nobody outside Tencent has published head-to-head results against other large models.
That matters if you were hoping to self-host. Until the weights are out, you can only use Hy4 through Tencent’s products or the third-party platforms listed above.
If you follow Chinese open models, our look at the LongCat-2.5 preview from Meituan shows the same pattern: big agent-focused models with plenty of promises and few outside tests. Our post on the DeepSeek Super-agent coding tool covers another free option.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tencent Hy4 free to use?
Partly. Tencent offers a limited free quota in WorkBuddy and CodeBuddy from November 4 to November 15. After that, you pay the per-token rate.
How much does Tencent Hy4 cost per million tokens?
It costs $0.834 per million input tokens and $2.501 per million output tokens. TokenHub on Tencent Cloud takes 50% off through December 31.
Is Tencent Hy4 open source?
Not yet. Tencent says it will release the weights and a system card shortly, but it hasn’t given a date.
Can Hy4 control my computer?
It can operate command-line tools and graphical interfaces, according to Tencent. Try it on sample files first, not on anything important.
Our take on Tencent Hy4
Use the free window to run a few of your own tasks, then decide. If Hy4 handles charts and multi-app jobs well, the pricing is low enough to matter. If you need to self-host or want proof from independent tests, wait for the weights and outside reviews before you commit.
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