The visual-only portion of GPU physics is not really that compelling which is why there isn't huge uptake. There would need to be a revolution in how games work on a fundamental level where basic game logic is calculated on the GPU to make true GPU physics happen. We might see that eventually but not anytime soon.
Raycasting for game logic is cpu based as you mention because the game logic itself is on the cpu. Yet solvers and the true heavy lifting does work well on gpu.
Except, and this is the true reason we see little gpu physics, no one has spare gpu room. Thus cpu side physics wins for most games. Outside specific physics focused games giving up graphics for faster physics is not a profitable trade.
I say this as a gamedev myself who has several times made this exact decision.
Many games do have spare GPU room to spare, but since there are no good GPU-accelerated solutions for physics they don't have much of a choice.
This is a completely meaningless statement.
> you'll run into compatibility issues between the hardware vendors
Those compatibility issues already exist in the form of DX or OpenGL drivers, and most games have to face them. Writing a sim in OpenCL would work on both Nvidia and AMD, and even on Integrated GPUs.
> Many games do have spare GPU room to spare
Many smaller games mighy but most big games do not. And those games with GPU room to spare normally have CPU to spare.
>since there are no good GPU-accelerated solutions for physics
There is - PhysX.
How is "difficult to implement" a meaningless statement?
>Those compatibility issues already exist in the form of DX or OpenGL drivers, and most games have to face them. Writing a sim in OpenCL would work on both Nvidia and AMD, and even on Integrated GPUs.
With completely different performance characteristics and very difficult to diagnose bugs.
>Many smaller games mighy but most big games do not. And those games with GPU room to spare normally have CPU to spare.
Maybe if you're talking about mainstream AAA single player titles, but many multiplayer titles tend to have CPU limits instead.
>There is - PhysX.
Which only works on nvidia hardware and is thus a useless solution.
https://docs.nvidia.com/gameworks/content/gameworkslibrary/p...
Says: The GPU rigid body feature provides GPU-accelerated implementations of:
- Broad Phase
- Contact generation
- Shape and body management
- Constraint solver
These are absolutely not only used for the visual effects, they are the fundamentals of a physics engine.