NVIDIA is continuing to be a partner for physics middleware on PlayStation 4

[claud3]

NVIDIA is continuing to be a partner for physics middleware on PlayStation 4

Recent announcement of Sony’s next-generation PlayStation 4 console has revealed that the new gaming system will be equipped with custom AMD GPU, capable of GPGPU computations – for example, physics simulation. To showcase its processing power, a live demo of GPU accelerated particle simulation, running on the Havok engine, was demonstrated during the event.

An opinions began to emerge, that NVIDIA PhysX SDK engine and PhysX Technology as a whole won’t find its place in the world of next-generation consoles and, thus, will be abandoned quickly.However, official “PlayStation 4 Tools & Middleware Developers” page says that “following middleware companies have their innovative technology solutions available right now to support PlayStation 4 developers”:

Since NVIDIA does not own any AI or Animation middleware, it is pretty clear that PhysX SDK physics engine is implied here. PhysX SDK will support PlayStation 4 and is already available for developers, as our sources, close to the industry, can confirm.
It is yet unclear, how the situation with GPU acceleration (you know, that “NVIDIA technology running on AMD hardware?!?!” stuff) will be handled on PS4 , but it is now certain – PhysX is here to stay.

On request

http://physxinfo.com/news/10531/nvid...playstation-4/

[Coconut_Crunch]

I have no idea if this is good or bad, I assume this is good news.

[KungMartin90]

This is good news. Nvidia are boss

[coolguy]

Good idea that nivdia has some engines.they hurt sony money wise with the rsx.

[Fijiandoce]

if this is true, every PS4 game has the potential to look radically different to other versions

hopefully this is true because its good to see some use come of this tech, other than exclusivity to a card vendor.

[claud3]

Added the video for those that are interested and it was on request from a friend

[Coconut_Crunch]

ohhhhhh, I get it. So basically that type of technology is used for little things such as smoke effects or more so particle effects used such as smoke, sparkes, pieces of buildings, destruction, and stuff like that?

[keefy]

PhysX running on AMD hardware doesnt always go well usually there still needs to be an Nvidia GPU somewhere.

PhsX is not just the fancy things show in the video it is also the less interesting stuff that makes the player (or whatever) move about the world and is calculated on the CPU for fairness since every computer tends to have a CPU.

[Fijiandoce]

ohhhhhh, I get it. So basically that type of technology is used for little things such as smoke effects or more so particle effects used such as smoke, sparkes, pieces of buildings, destruction, and stuff like that?

its a physics simulation that runs on the GPU, whereas it usually would run on the CPU.

this method, however, is fast but approximative.

only a handful of games run it because Nvidia own it for use on their cards, and on the higher end stuff no less.

[Coconut_Crunch]

its a physics simulation that runs on the GPU, whereas it usually would run on the CPU.

this method, however, is fast but approximative.

only a handful of games run it because Nvidia own it for use on their cards, and on the higher end stuff no less.

So because the PS4 uses it than we should expect to see more of a use for it. So basically not only did PS4 manage to get involved with AMD as well as sticking in 8GB of GDDR5, but they also managed to get Nvidias physic technology into their system as well? Fuckin A, this system is getting BEAST.

[Fijiandoce]

So because the PS4 uses it than we should expect to see more of a use for it. So basically not only did PS4 manage to get involved with AMD as well as sticking in 8GB of GDDR5, but they also managed to get Nvidias physic technology into their system as well? Fuckin A, this system is getting BEAST.

if the article is correct of course

but i would agree, this would differentiate the PS4 version of games 10 times out of 10

[keefy]

Guys its unlikely the fancy stuff int he video will work as good (if at all) on AMD GPU and forget about running it on a CPU.

The PhysX SDK also includes CPU based code which is for ragdolls player movements and collisions and a few other things in other words stuff that has to be universally accessible because not everyone uses Nvidia.

[Fijiandoce]

Guys its unlikely the fancy stuff int he video will work as good (if at all) on AMD GPU and forget about running it on a CPU.

The PhysX SDK also includes CPU based code which is for ragdolls player movements and collisions and a few other things in other words stuff that has to be universally accessible because not everyone uses Nvidia.

indeed, its unlikely to be Nvidia's PhysX tech (which is quite sad), but the GPU in the PS4 has similariteis with GPGPU's - which is why Sony showed the havok physics demo running on the GPU - CUDA cores, to my knowledge, fall under GPGPU's don't they?

one can still hope though

[Syphon_Filter]

I have no idea if this is good or bad, I assume this is good news.

Me too . But its to see those features in the game graphics.

[Jabjabs]

indeed, its unlikely to be Nvidia's PhysX tech (which is quite sad), but the GPU in the PS4 has similariteis with GPGPU's - which is why Sony showed the havok physics demo running on the GPU - CUDA cores, to my knowledge, fall under GPGPU's don't they?

one can still hope though

I might just be reading you post wrong but CUDA is Nvidia's shader core counting metric, Radeon uses the Compute Unit (CU) means of counting this system.

It's difficult to say when a GPU is GPGPU capable since we have been seeing this concept in one form or another since about 2004. Essentially however a Direct X 9 (shader model 2) based GPU is essentially all you need to achieve GPGPU functionality, technically RSX is capable of using the GPU for alternative functions. Modern GPU's however are much more optimised for better data path execution and are simply on an entirely different level of efficiency.

[Fijiandoce]

I might just be reading you post wrong but CUDA is Nvidia's shader core counting metric, Radeon uses the Compute Unit (CU) means of counting this system.

It's difficult to say when a GPU is GPGPU capable since we have been seeing this concept in one form or another since about 2004. Essentially however a Direct X 9 (shader model 2) based GPU is essentially all you need to achieve GPGPU functionality, technically RSX is capable of using the GPU for alternative functions. Modern GPU's however are much more optimised for better data path execution and are simply on an entirely different level of efficiency.

you read my post right, i simply worded it poorly

i was trying to draw similarities between whatever the PS4 might be using (AMD most presumed) and Nvidia's PhysX on their cards. consoles not being a PC GPU, the possibility of running PhysX on a GPGPU setup(regardless of company) could be a real possibility.

it's such a shame that the tech is available to so few people though.

[claud3]

i hope to see something that makes this an awesome thing

[Jabjabs]

you read my post right, i simply worded it poorly

i was trying to draw similarities between whatever the PS4 might be using (AMD most presumed) and Nvidia's PhysX on their cards. consoles not being a PC GPU, the possibility of running PhysX on a GPGPU setup(regardless of company) could be a real possibility.

it's such a shame that the tech is available to so few people though.

Oh yes from what I'm hearing GPGPU physics has a real place in this next generation, they might not have Cell for physics this generation but GPGPU can more than make up that difference.

I mean you can do this stuff on Wii U's GPU the only difference is you probably wouldn't want to on that machine simply due to the lack of performance available.

[keefy]

CUDA is a programming platform developed by Nvidia.
CUDA is only available on Nvidia GPUs.

OpenCL and Direct compute are alternatives. Both these work on AMD or Nvidia.

[Bigdoggy]

If you are using rendering software or other programs cough **Priemier** cough. otherwise CUDA cores isn't a big deal if you are a gamer, it doesn't do anything for you. o.O in more simple terms, CUDA cores come in handy with video editing. For a gamer it's pretty useless.