Mirror’s Edge PhysX Comparison Video, 2K & EA Join the PhysX Club

Last month, we posted about DICE’s agreement with NVIDIA to license PhysX technology for the upcoming PC version of Mirror’s Edge. On the same day, NVIDIA released a high-resolution video that showcased just what the game would look like with the technology enabled, and today, they make things a little easier to digest by showing a direct comparison, PhysX vs. No PhysX. You can view the video below, or head over to our Vimeo account for the full-resolution version.

The video shows that there is a rather substantial difference with no PhysX. It’s not so much a matter of less-realistic reactions to the environment, but in some cases, objects are simply not there, such as drapes hanging down or trash blowing in the wind. It’s clear that PhysX will add a bit to the immersion factor, but we’re unsure at this point how users with ATI cards are going to fare.

While ATI cards will be able to support some physics, some objects as I mentioned, simply won’t be there. The lack of such objects could result in far different gameplay, and if you watch the video, you can see what I mean. While certain physics animations will occur on an ATI card, or with PhysX disabled, they’re much more realistic with it turned on. Debris sticks around longer, and actually reacts to your movement.

As soon as we receive our copy of the game, we’ll test the game on both NVIDIA and ATI cards, with and without the PhysX capabilities, then draw our own conclusions. Also announced today, though, are new partnerships between NVIDIA and both EA and 2K Games. Both companies plan to use PhysX extensively in the future, but only 2K’s Borderlands has been announced to utilize it.

“PhysX is a great physics solution for the most popular platforms, and we’re happy to make it available for EA’s development teams worldwide,” said Tim Wilson, Chief Technology Officer of EA’s Redwood Shores Studio. “Gameplay remains our number one goal, with character, vehicle and environmental interactivity a critical part of the gameplay experience for our titles, and we look forward to partnering with NVIDIA to reach this goal.”