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Among various bug-fixes, this version also features support for GPU acceleration on Linux platform (CUDA-capable devices only) and reworked documentation.

Previously it was done on the CPU for Linux gamers which would be a lot slower.

This really excites me as the effect PhysX has in the Borderlands series is pretty cool. Hopefully support will be enable within Borderlands 2 shortly and perhaps we'll have launch day support for Borderlands the pre-sequel.

The updated PhysX SDk can be found here. You can also see the official changelog here.

What are your thoughts?

A video of PhysX in action in Borderlands 2:

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I'm an 20 year old Sophomore at the University of Michigan. I hail from a small town in Michigan called Galien. My interests are Linux, gaming, girls, and computers in general. 
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Renzatic Gear Oct 14, 2014
If this do not matter for you, I don't care, but it matters to me, and I say the same: it is an option to use Windows instead of Linux whenever I please, my choice is derivative by the free will that I have. That's why I think: if I need to use closed software them I will use it on the best scenario possible where I'll be must pleased.

I don't feel right using and advocating for an open platform and them contradict myself by not supporting it. I only recommend Linux to Intel users because they are the best on Open Drivers, but if anyone wants to try it with AMD or NVidia closed solutions, doesn't matter to me, it matters to them. But, I'm really looking forward for the new open driver strategy AMD is doing right now, hopefully NVidia follow its steps soon enough, and them maybe I switch to LInux full time.
+ Click to view long quote

I guess the happy medium would be to say that proprietary stuff on Linux is okay, so long as it doesn't limit people who want to use open source stuff exclusively. I guess one part of that philosophy of freedom is the ability to opt out of something entirely if you don't like it, and continue using your OS as you have been previously.

And PhysX is just bad for all industry. Seriously, why the hell would anyone ask developers to close their eyes to the rest of the market when there are alternatives to it? Don't you want choices on your future? This doesn't makes any sense to me and I don't feel like discussing about this right now it is a bit late now.

Peace.

I'm honestly surprised that PhysX and CUDA are still around. Not because they suck, they're both actually pretty good, but because single vendor stuff tends to fall by the wayside more often than not.

I guess they're still around because no one's bothered to make a just as good, if not better alternative for them yet. CUDA does have some competition from OpenCL, but I don't know how widely used it is in comparison yet. And PhysX? There's nothing else like PhysX out there. It's either it, or nothing.

It'd be nice if there were. Cuz I don't want to feel like I'm being hobbled some way if I decide to grab an AMD card in the future.
Deformal Oct 14, 2014
I hope, we `ll see PhysX in Borderlands Presequel
seven Oct 14, 2014
this is great news!!!! how do you enable it??? what do i have to install, or is it in the new driver?
seven Oct 14, 2014
this is great news!!!! how do you enable it??? what do i have to install, or is it in the new driver?
seven Oct 14, 2014
this is great news!!!! how do you enable it??? what do i have to install, or is it in the new driver?
Maelrane Oct 14, 2014
I do not need all the ssoftware on my Linux rig to be free, especially in gaming. If NVidia wants to keep PhysX and their drivers closed source, so be it, as long as they continue to support Linux...which so far they have done fairly well (better than AMD/ATI anyway). So I'm happy about this news.

I wonder how anything could run better than the open source amd drivers on my archlinux system.

Not going to try out a nvidia on my main gaming righ tho ;)
Deformal Oct 14, 2014
I like complaining and mentions like: "O, this is closed source, we do not need it!"
So what the problem? You may ignore buying games with PhysX. And even more, you can ignore all selling games, because almost all of games are closed source.
Armand Raynal Oct 14, 2014
WHY DO YOU PREFER GNU/LINUX ?

That's the question.

If it's not for the ideology, why ?
sub Oct 14, 2014
I like complaining and mentions like: "O, this is closed source, we do not need it!"
So what the problem? You may ignore buying games with PhysX. And even more, you can ignore all selling games, because almost all of games are closed source.

Again, the problem is not closed source vs. open source in this case.
It's the vendor lock-in coming with PhysX and CUDA.
This has prefectly nothing to do with it being closed source.
Deformal Oct 14, 2014
WHY DO YOU PREFER GNU/LINUX ?

That's the question.

If it's not for the ideology, why ?
I am not prefer Linux, but I like it. And I want to play on steam os in the future. And I want equals of all platform.
I like complaining and mentions like: "O, this is closed source, we do not need it!"
So what the problem? You may ignore buying games with PhysX. And even more, you can ignore all selling games, because almost all of games are closed source.
Again, the problem is not closed source vs. open source in this case.
It's the vendor lock-in coming with PhysX and CUDA.
This has prefectly nothing to do with it being closed source.
If developers can`t include PhysX in game, I see no reason to port it on Linux. If developers can include PhysX in game, I see no problem.
And I get an idea, why we wait for Metro Redux on linux. Maybe, they want to add PhysX in Linux version.
Sabun Oct 14, 2014
That's pretty cool news!

I didn't think NVIDIA would make a move in such short notice, but it shows that Aspyr are really pushing for this. I'm grateful, and I hope NVIDIA continue to support us as best as they can. Continual improvements are always welcome :)
Imants Oct 14, 2014
WHY DO YOU PREFER GNU/LINUX ?

That's the question.

If it's not for the ideology, why ?

Linux is cheaper :). Now MS wants to push new windows version every few years and force us to buy it. I do not like it.
Kallestofeles Oct 14, 2014
WHY DO YOU PREFER GNU/LINUX ?

That's the question.

If it's not for the ideology, why ?
I want full customization availability. Plus, rock-solid services which I can fine-tune to enhance my home's IT solution. :)
drmoth Oct 14, 2014
Editor note: typo in heading.

This is rather fantastic news.
I see this as a continuation of the extensive flexibility of Linux in the face of other OS'es locking themselves down.

I love how my Linux laptop can read/write pretty much all major filesystems, most file formats, and a huge amount of older hardware that often fails to get updated on OSX/Windows.

While the kernel of Linux must always be untainted by proprietary software, I'm happy to have Linux be as compatible with as many other software formats out there, proprietary or not....like supporting .docx in LibreOffice for example.

The Linux immune system just got a little stronger, like a giant amoeba (think Akira) absorbing all in its path!
sub Oct 14, 2014
This is rather fantastic news.
I see this as a continuation of the extensive flexibility of Linux in the face of other OS'es locking themselves down.
...
The Linux immune system just got a little stronger, like a giant amoeba (think Akira) absorbing all in its path!

Are you trolling or just plain ignorant? :S:
Armand Raynal Oct 14, 2014
WHY DO YOU PREFER GNU/LINUX ?

That's the question.

If it's not for the ideology, why ?
I am not prefer Linux, but I like it. And I want to play on steam os in the future. And I want equals of all platform.

Why do you like it ?

Why do you want to play on steamos ?

Why would give just a single sh*t about what is on plateforme that you doesn't use ?

Why would you choose to work, or game, or watch movies ... on GNU/linux, better than on windows ?


The only real advantage of GNU/Linux against windows is the ideology of free(as in freedom) software.
Price, or possibility to choose your desktop is strictly nothing compared to the freedom that provide GNU/Linux.
Ivancillo Oct 14, 2014
Hello Armand.

I like to say only a little thing about this debate.

While I like Linux for their ideology and I would prefer an OpenPhysX that would run flawlesly on all cards of all vendors than a restricted closed source solution, I see that nVidia it's not guilty in this case for release its SDK.

nVidia is filling an empty hole. Before nVidia's release there wasn't another open source alternative avaliable that we are aware (in Linux).

Now it would be nice that game developers start to make use of it to make games gain more realism, and graphic cards open source developers try to implement it in their drivers.

As for the people who were angry with nVidia for making PhysX avaliable only on nVidia hardware, I remember that one directive at nVidia (I don't recall if was Jen Sung itself) a long time ago propose AMD to use CUDA (needed for PhysX) on its chips too, to make a coherent development and standarization of the API.

But they refuse at AMD. They argued that they plan to use Bullet API and OpenCL.

So it was AMD who didn't want to implement either CUDA nor PhysX on its cards.

Which API it's better I don't know.

It's up to the game developers to make the best aproach that make happy their customers, while benefit for the extra features and performance for each card, thought.
N30N Oct 14, 2014
While some of the PhysX effects in Borderlands 2 look cool, I’d prefer if the developers had used a generic physics engine that worked everywhere. The game could afford the CPU cost as it’s only using 25% of my Core i3…

I suppose those developers are paid by Nvidia to use PhysX and nothing else.
On Windows the medium and high levels of PhysX are available on the CPU when hardware acceleration is not available.

In reply to my support ticket they said acceleration PhysX is also not available on OSX due to using an old version of the old SDK and "we will not be adding it to the game". They seems to skip over CPU/non-accelerated support and their login system is broken so I can't reply to the issue any further.
Armand Raynal Oct 14, 2014
Hello Armand.

I like to say only a little thing about this debate.

While I like Linux for their ideology and I would prefer an OpenPhysX that would run flawlesly on all cards of all vendors than a restricted closed source solution, I see that nVidia it's not guilty in this case for release its SDK.

nVidia is filling an empty hole. Before nVidia's release there wasn't another open source alternative avaliable that we are aware (in Linux).

Now it would be nice that game developers start to make use of it to make games gain more realism, and graphic cards open source developers try to implement it in their drivers.

As for the people who were angry with nVidia for making PhysX avaliable only on nVidia hardware, I remember that one directive at nVidia (I don't recall if was Jen Sung itself) a long time ago propose AMD to use CUDA (needed for PhysX) on its chips too, to make a coherent development and standarization of the API.

But they refuse at AMD. They argued that they plan to use Bullet API and OpenCL.

So it was AMD who didn't want to implement either CUDA nor PhysX on its cards.

Which API it's better I don't know.

It's up to the game developers to make the best aproach that make happy their customers, while benefit for the extra features and performance for each card, thought.
+ Click to view long quote

Hello Ivan.
AMD refused to use CUDA, and it's seems normal for me.
If AMD used a proprietary software from a competing company for their hardware, they would have no control on the performances and stability.

You don't know which APIs is best, and I tell you I know. OpenCL is best.
Because it is 'libre'. Performance isn't the more important point.

It is nVidia, that refused to use libre stantards, and prefered to make something by themself, for themself. Also OpenCL can perfectly be compilated for GNU/Linux. The thing is that developpers don't really care about physics.

CUDA is something bad for all users that want to use GPGPU for any purpose.
Firstly because such a closed format can't take off. It can't be popularized because it is anecdotic for developper, require more work, and work for only half of costumers. Sort of lost of time. And also sort of blackmail : play with our cards to have the complete experience.
Secondly because it is a try to impose them on the market. And when the market is not equilibrated, price and offers are bad for costumers.
French economists say "concurrence pure et parfaite" which mean pure and perfect competition, and which is a paradigm of market where they would be plenty of little companys in competition. We only got 2 company on the video card market(for gaming), if furthermore one is much bigger than the other, the market will be horrible for costumers.

Finally, if you truly like the ideology of GNU/Linux, I beg you to say GNU/Linux, and not just Linux. GNU is precisely the ideologic part of GNU/Linux systems.

If you had not seen it yet, watch this brief talk about "libre" software :

View video on youtube.com
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