Havok Unveils Next-Generation Physics Engine

Havok has announced the launch of the third major iteration to its Havok Physics technology that features "significant technical innovations" in performance, memory utilization, usability, and is a "major leap forward" for in-game physics simulation. The release is specifically targeted towards next-generation consoles, mobile devices, and PCs with full compatibility and support for current devices. 

According to Andew Bond, Vice President of Technology for Havok, this version has resulted in a "new engine core built around fully continuous simulation that enables maximum physical fidelity with unprecedented performance speeds. Beta versions of the technology have been in the hands of a number of leading developers for some time and we have seen dramatic performance gains with simulations running twice as fast or more, and using up to 10 times less memory. Additionally the new core’s performance is extremely predictable, eliminating performance spikes.”

Laurent Gorga, 2K Czeck's Technical Director, further added that "At 2K Czech, our games demand a physics solution that can scale efficiently and handle highly detailed interactive environments. Having recently moved to the next generation of Havok Physics, we’ve been blown away by how Havok’s new physics technology is able to make highly efficient utilization of all available hardware cores with a very lean runtime memory footprint."

Further information about this version of the Havok Physics engine is expected to be revealed at this year's GDC, held between March 27 and March 29 in San Francisco, California.

Contact Us for News Tips, Corrections and Feedback

  • TidalWaveOne
    Great! Glad to know they stopped using Visual Basic.
    Reply
  • enewmen
    Havok didn't say anything about HSA and unified address space. Will they use this architectural advantage?
    Reply
  • Maximus_Delta
    Yes, with fully optimized sub routines and intelligent cross-thread load balancing included?
    Reply
  • abbadon_34
    Wonder what Nvidia's response will be?
    Reply
  • nitrium
    What are the key differences between Havok and nVidia's PhysX? Are they both GPU accelerated? Does Havok in principle run on any hardware configuration? Which is most likely to be the more mainstream (i.e. dominant) solution over the next few years?
    Reply
  • alfaalex101
    Well it's about time! Last time I was wow'd by you was in 04 with Half-Life 2
    Reply
  • dragonetti
    Nice development, and so glad its a system that works on any graphic card not like nVidia closed Physics Engine is for their own graphic cards. i was looking for a demo on YouTube but could not find one for the Havok Next-Generation Physics Engine. :(
    Reply
  • ojas
    abbadon_34Wonder what Nvidia's response will be?PhysX support on the PS4 :|
    Reply
  • brythespy
    I've seen a few articles and rumors about stuff like this, all around the time for the next gen consoles to come out. Coincidence? I think not. Next gen consoles are going to help sky-rocket the gaming industry, meanwhile I'm sitting back watching with my GTX 640 and i7, which will become obsolete in about a year after the consoles get fully up and running. The next few years are going to be amazing.
    Reply
  • brythespy
    EdmondHaskellIf you think Alfred`s story is complete bullshit, it is.
    Look out guys! Don't click it, you'll make him another few penny's at the exchange of all your information!!!!!1
    Reply