Nvidia RTX 5090 Can’t Run Older Games But User Found Costly Fix

Those who rely on PhysX for 32-bit CUDA are reluctant to part with the capabilities it offers on the RTX 5090 GPU. In a display of creativity, gamers have started to combine this already high-priced graphics card with additional compatible GPUs to restore the PhysX functionality in their gaming rigs.

Nvidia has recently declared that it will no longer support the legacy GPU-accelerated physics simulation technology, PhysX, on its newer graphics cards. This decision has serious implications for many beloved vintage games, which will no longer work with the RTX 5090 and later models concerning advanced simulation and rendering. The absence of PhysX leads to significantly reduced frame rates for older titles, and many visual effects such as moving smoke, flowing liquids, cloth simulation, and shattering glass struggle to execute accurately.

According to a report from Tom’s Hardware, it is still feasible to maintain PhysX support on a system equipped with an RTX 50 series GPU or newer by pairing it with an RTX 40 series or earlier graphics card. This method involves activating the older GPU within the Nvidia control panel when needed. A Reddit user, jerubedo, took this approach, purchasing an RTX 3050 to use alongside their RTX 5090. They shared their findings on Nvidia forums.

Testing RTX 3050 Pairing

The user experimented with this dual-GPU setup on several legacy titles, including Mafia II Classic, Batman: Arkham, Borderlands 2, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, and Mirror’s Edge. The outcomes varied, but it became clear that the RTX 5090 struggled significantly without the RTX 3050’s assistance.

Running standalone, the RTX 5090 delivered disappointingly low frame rates. For example, in Borderlands 2, PhysX did not function at all. However, with the RTX 3050 in play, frame rates increased notably, and the overall performance saw significant enhancements. The findings for Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag were similar, with nearly identical frame rates between the two configurations, hovering around 62fps.

On the other hand, other games revealed drastic performance discrepancies. The Reddit user recorded a mere 12fps in Mirror’s Edge without the RTX 3050, encountering a 49-second pause during a glass-shattering event. However, when pairing the RTX 5090 with the RTX 3050, the game soared to 171fps.

PhysX Functions Missing

It’s important to note that the RTX 5090 comes with a staggering price tag of about $2,000. Already facing limited availability amidst high demand, it’s disheartening that Nvidia is discontinuing much-loved features from its graphics systems. Although using an additional GPU to restore PhysX capabilities is a clever workaround, it’s not a solution that every enthusiast is eager to explore, especially when they expect their high-end components to deliver out of the box.

Commentators on the Digital Foundry podcast discussed that without PhysX or a dedicated GPU, the RTX 5090 effectively loses backward compatibility with older games. They emphasized that without legacy support, the rendering tasks previously handled by PhysX now fall to the CPU, which doesn’t perform as efficiently. Disappointment in this transition is palpable, as many were hoping for CPU capabilities to have advanced in line with the long-established PhysX technology. Sadly, indications suggest there is no upcoming replacement for PhysX, meaning creative hardware arrangements like jerubedo’s might be the only viable option for players seeking top-tier rendering in older games.