If you haven't already heard, Nvidia has removed GPU PhysX support for all 32-bit games in its latest RTX 50 series GPUs due to the deprecation of 32-bit CUDA application support starting with this generation. This means that if you were planning to play older PhysX games like the Batman Arkham series with your powerful modern hardware, it is not going to be as powerful as you'd hoped.

List of 32-bit PhysX games

Over on the ResetEra forum, a user has put together a list of all 32-bit PhysX games that previously utilized GPU acceleration. In total, around 40 titles are affected, meaning RTX 50 owners will now be forced to use CPU-based PhysX if they want effects like realistic cloth physics, dynamic debris, and fluid simulations. This includes fan favorites like Borderlands 2, Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, Mafia II, and many more. Here's a quick look at all the titles affected by this unwelcome change:

• Monster Madness: Battle for Suburbia
• Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2
• Crazy Machines 2
• Unreal Tournament 3
• Warmonger: Operation Downtown Destruction
• Hot Dance Party
• QQ Dance
• Hot Dance Party II
• Sacred 2: Fallen Angel
• Cryostasis: Sleep of Reason
• Mirror’s Edge
• Armageddon Riders
• Darkest of Days
• Batman: Arkham Asylum
• Sacred 2: Ice & Blood
• Shattered Horizon
• Star Trek DAC
• Metro 2033
• Dark Void
• Blur
• Mafia II
• Hydrophobia: Prophecy
• Jianxia 3
• Alice: Madness Returns
• MStar
• Batman: Arkham City
• 7554
• Depth Hunter
• Deep Black
• Gas Guzzlers: Combat Carnage
• The Secret World
• Continent of the Ninth (C9)
• Borderlands 2
• Passion Leads Army
• QQ Dance 2
• Star Trek
• Mars: War Logs
• Metro: Last Light
• Rise of the Triad
• The Bureau: XCOM Declassified
• Batman: Arkham Origins
• Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag

Is CPU PhysX not a viable alternative?

CPU PhysX is not a great alternative to GPU-accelerated PhysX, and we are seeing clear examples of the big performance gap between the two. The poster of the compiled list has also included testing data from users on various forums who are trying CPU-based PhysX to give a better idea of the performance impact. While the list is being updated as more people share their experiences, so far, not a single report has been positive.

For instance, in Cryostasis: Sleep of Reason, the game struggles to reach just 13 FPS at 4K max settings, and in Mirror's Edge, users have reported a considerable impact on 0.1% lows when PhysX is handled by the CPU. Testing Batman: Arkham Asylum on a Ryzen 7 7700X with CPU PhysX resulted in a major performance hit, and even in Batman: Arkham City, there was a significant drop in 1% and 0.1% lows.

That said, RTX 40 series GPUs and all previous generations still support GPU PhysX, so if you're considering an upgrade, it might be best to hold off if you’re still interested in playing these older titles and want to make full use of PhysX visuals. Sure, you could always turn it off completely, but

About the Author

Hassam Nasir

Hassam boasts over seven years of professional experience as a dedicated PC hardware reviewer and writer.