In Nezmyrstam PhyX returns
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An unexpected twist in the world of technology: NVIDIA has decided to restore PhysX support for its latest RTX 50 series video cards. This return is not on a large scale, but on a targeted basis, covering a specific range of games in which this technology is deeply integrated. In announcing the release of the latest GeForce Game Ready driver, the company announced that PhysX support is being added to the most popular games that use the feature.
List of games and past issues
This new approach brings PhysX acceleration back to games that actively use it, providing a visual and performance boost. The list includes titles such as Alice: Madness Returns, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, Batman: Arkham City, Batman: Arkham Origins, Borderlands 2, Mafia II, Metro 2033, Metro: Last Light and Mirror’s Edge. This is especially important considering that back in February earlier this year it became known that RTX 50 video cards would not support PhysX. This caused considerable concern about how it would affect the look and feel of old games, with many “before and after” comparison videos popping up on the internet. Some enthusiasts even used previous generations of video cards as separate PhysX accelerators in their computers.
History and development of PhysX
The technology started with Ageia, which offered its own physics accelerators for games, until it was acquired by NVIDIA in 2004. Developed as an SDK (Software Development Kit) for physics modeling, PhysX is capable of handling impacts, object motion, cloth simulation, particle effects, fluids and many other complex physical processes. The main idea was to move physics calculations from the central processing unit (CPU) to the video card (GPU), thus achieving significantly better performance and more detailed visual effects. Although initially a revolutionary step, adoption of PhysX slowed significantly in the late 2010s as new and alternative technologies emerged. One of the main limitations of PhysX was its heavy dependence on CUDA, a technology that only allowed it to run on NVIDIA graphics cards. This approach may no longer correspond to the times, and NVIDIA itself began to gradually reduce support for certain functions, which encouraged developers to either abandon the technology or even create their own solutions.
The renewed meaning of PhysX
NVIDIA’s decision to restore PhysX support on RTX 50 series cards has caused positive emotions in the gaming community, especially those who value the visual quality and smoothness of these old but still beloved games. It is like receiving back a beloved friend who had gone on an unexpected vacation. PhysX is capable of creating incredibly realistic effects – imagine exploding buildings collapsing, liquid flowing and fabrics moving with incredible naturalness. When PhysX was dropped from the latest cards, many of these impressive visual features simply disappeared, leaving games less impressive. The renewed support, albeit limited, is a step in the right direction, proving that NVIDIA has not completely forgotten about its historical heritage and the wishes of gamers. It shows a desire to improve the experience of games that have become classics, ensuring that they look and feel great even by today’s standards.
