Ready to 
Mirror’s Edge on PC to use PhysX
Bobby Miller
November 20, 2008 5:35 PM ET in Gaming
Faith surveys her city
The look of excitement on my face quickly dissolved away to disappointment as I read that Mirror’s Edge had been delayed on PC. Console gamers were raving about the recently released demo and I was eager to give it a try myself. My hopes were shattered as I found out that the PC version of the game had been pushed back to January and there were no plans for a pre-release demo.
I saw no logical reason for this move. I thought this was just another example of the PC platform getting the short end of the stick. A game being developed simultaneously across 3 different platforms shouldn’t yield differing dates. I was confused and disappointed. Today, however, I discovered the reason for this delay. Let’s just say good things come to those who wait.
Nvidia announced that the PC version of Mirror’s Edge will support its recently acquired PhysX technology. This will enable next-gen hardware processed interactive physics. What this means for the consumer is interactive physics and effects unlike any we’ve seen in a standard game. Explosions will birth tons of dynamic particles, cloth will tear and rip in real time, and smoke and fog will interact with objects and players.
Mirror’s Edge on PC with PhysX enabled is going to look way more shiny than its console counterparts.
This is a big move for Nvidia. PhysX technology has had enormous potential that has gone mostly untapped. I first saw the technology when Ageia premiered their PhysX PPUs to an anxious crowd at the ACM Reflections/Projections conference in 2005. I couldn’t wait for this technology to go mainstream and be implemented in modern games. Imagine my disappointment when almost 3 years later the tech had hardly been adopted by developers.
PC Launch TrailerWhen Nvidia aquired Ageia PhysX earlier this year and announced plans to implement PhysX tech into their current lineup of GeForce 8X cards, my excitement was reignited. Finally this great technology was to be accepted by the masses. Nvidia patched their drivers and we await a release that uses it.
Mirror’s Edge is the first major release to see this Nvidia PhysX treatment. As you can tell from the PhysX effects trailer, the amount of interactivity this technology adds is most impressive. At this point in time it’s really just eye candy. It would be nice to see tearable coth that the player could climb or swing on, their velocity and weight determining if the material remains in one piece or not. This late in the development cycle would probably prevent such additions, not to mention the state of the current console releases. The PhysX implementation is, however, a step in the right direction to further develop physics processing technology. Mirror’s Edge is the leap forward (ed.note: Groan) that gamers and physics processing has needed.
Certainly, console gamers have been enjoying Mirror’s Edge for awhile now, but the PC gamer’s patience will be rewarded with a true next-gen piece of tech. I personally can’t wait to run across rooftops and rip flags in half. That’s the kind of stuff that will bring the excitment back to this gamer’s face.
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