The video “NVIDIA Giveth, NVIDIA Taketh Away | RIP PhysX 32-bit” discusses how older graphics cards like the GTX 580 outperform the newer RTX 580 in certain games, particularly those utilizing NVIDIA’s deprecated PhysX technology. It highlights the challenges gamers face due to the lack of 32-bit support on modern hardware, raising concerns about the long-term viability of vendor-specific technologies and the importance of game preservation.
In the video “NVIDIA Giveth, NVIDIA Taketh Away | RIP PhysX 32-bit,” the presenter discusses the surprising resurgence of older graphics cards like the GTX 580, originally released in 2010, as they outperform the newer RTX 580 in various gaming scenarios. The video highlights the performance of the GTX 580 and GTX 980 against the RTX 580, particularly focusing on how older hardware can still deliver a better gaming experience in certain titles. The discussion revolves around the significant performance differences when running older games that utilize NVIDIA’s PhysX technology, which has now been deprecated for 32-bit applications on the latest RTX 50 Series GPUs.
The video dives into the history and functionality of PhysX, a physics engine developed by NVIDIA that was meant to enhance gaming graphics by providing realistic physical effects. However, the abandonment of 32-bit CUDA support has led to issues for older games that relied on this technology, causing them to struggle on modern hardware. Users have reported that PhysX no longer functions properly on the RTX 50 Series, and NVIDIA confirmed that this is expected behavior due to the deprecation of 32-bit support. This situation raises concerns about vendor-specific solutions and the potential consequences for gamers who invest in technology that may not be supported in the long run.
The presenter emphasizes the historical context of PhysX, explaining how it was initially developed to run on dedicated physics processing units (PPUs) before being adapted for use with CUDA cores. The video covers how NVIDIA’s integration of PhysX into games created a competitive advantage for their hardware, often resulting in subpar experiences for users with AMD or Intel graphics. The discussion highlights how the marketing of PhysX as “the way it’s meant to be played” led to a disparity in gameplay experiences, especially in titles like “Mirror’s Edge” and “Mafia 2,” where disabling PhysX significantly detracted from the visual quality and gameplay.
Performance testing of several 32-bit games reveals that the GTX 580 often outperforms the RTX 580, particularly in scenarios where PhysX effects are heavily utilized. The video showcases benchmarks from games like “Batman: Arkham City,” “Borderlands 2,” and “Metro: Last Light,” demonstrating that the RTX 580 struggles with CPU-based PhysX, while the GTX 580 excels when PhysX is GPU-accelerated. The presenter notes that the performance discrepancies highlight the challenges gamers face when modern hardware fails to support older technologies, raising questions about the long-term viability of proprietary features in gaming.
In conclusion, the video warns of the potential pitfalls of relying on vendor-specific technologies like PhysX, as they can lead to compatibility issues and diminished gaming experiences when support is withdrawn. The presenter reflects on NVIDIA’s history of creating exclusive graphics technologies and the implications for gamers who invest in their products. The discussion serves as a reminder of the importance of game preservation and the need for developers to ensure compatibility with older titles, as well as the broader implications for future technologies in the gaming industry. The video ends with a call to action for viewers to subscribe and support the channel for more insights and research on emerging topics in gaming technology.