Nvidia Adds Free PhysX Support to Graphics Cards via Drivers, Can't Wait for Customers to 'Get Wet'

While ATI launches new hardware, rival Nvidia today released a new set of drivers that adds support for AGEIA's PhysX physics acceleration technology to the existing GeForce 8, GeForce 9, and GeForce GTX 200-series cards.

The new drivers are part of the free GeForce Power Pack, which also contains a PhysX-enabling mod for Epic's Unreal Tournament 3, the full version of NetDevil's physics-heavy title Warmonger, and a few tech demos, including a fluid simulation.

In addition, the drivers add PhysX support for the PC version of GRIN and Ubisoft Paris' Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2. The functionality comes after Nvidia announced plans to acquire AGEIA earlier this year, with many developers since pledging support.

"Seeing really is believing and is the reason why we compiled all of this great PhysX content into a free download," commented GeForce GPU general manager Ujesh Desai. "We can't wait for our customers to jump in, get wet, and tell us what they think!"

The complete contents of the first free GeForce Power Pack are:

• Warmonger--Full free game! Destroy walls, floors, and whole buildings to open up new paths or close existing ones. Destructive power is more than eye candy here--it's a tactical weapon in this ground-breaking action game.

• Unreal Tournament 3 PhysX Mod Pack--includes three maps with amazing effects that fundamentally change the gameplay (requires full version of Unreal Tournament 3)

• A sneak peek at the upcoming Nurien social networking service, based on the Unreal Engine 3 (with built-in benchmark)

• A sneak peek at the upcoming game Metal Knight Zero (with built-in benchmark)

• All new NVIDIA "The Great Kulu" tech demo that showcases the use of PhysX soft bodies in a real game play environment

• All new NVIDIA "Fluid" tech demo--a simulation of realistic fluid effects with a variety of liquids