Holy Realistic Smoke! Nvidia Brings PhysX Engine to PlayStation 3

A new licensing agreement will allow PS3 developers to access Nvidia's tools, for effects like realistic smoke, debris, and explosions.

PlayStation 3 gamers will soon be able to slosh around in realistic water, crumble rocky terrain with explosives and cut through cloth like it’s… well, cloth. On Wednesday, Nvidia announced that its PhysX engine, which enables more life-like interaction with 3D game environments, would be coming to Sony’s PlayStation 3.

Specifically, the companies have signed a “middleware license agreement” that opens up Nvidia’s PhysX toolbox to game developers working on the PlayStation 3. All licensed Sony developers will now have free access to the PhysX software development kit (SDK) through Sony.

“Nvidia is proud to support PlayStation 3 as an approved middleware provider,” said Tony Tamasi, senior vice president of content and technology at Nvidia.  “Games developed for the PlayStation 3 using PhysX technology offer a more realistic and lifelike interaction between the games characters and other objects within the game. We look forward to the new games that will redefine reality for a new generation of gamers.”

Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.