# What physics engine does Breath of the Wild use?

> Breath of the Wild uses the Havok physics engine, heavily tuned by Nintendo; Tears of the Kingdom builds on the same Havok-based tech.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild uses Havok, a commercial physics engine also used in many other games. The Havok logo appears in the game's credits. Nintendo built its own game engine around it and tuned the physics heavily, which is why objects, fire, wind and metal feel so interactive.

## What Havok does in Breath of the Wild

- Rigid body physics: rolling boulders, falling trees, stacking objects.
- Collisions and momentum, including launching objects with Stasis.
- Magnesis and other runes that move metal objects.
- Ragdolls for enemies and Link.

Other systems, such as fire spreading, weather and electricity, are Nintendo's own "chemistry engine" running alongside the physics.

## What about Tears of the Kingdom?

Tears of the Kingdom uses the same Havok-based foundation with even heavier use of physics, since Ultrahand lets players glue objects into vehicles and machines.

## Other well-known physics engines

- **Havok:** widely used in big console and PC games.
- **PhysX:** built by Nvidia; integrated in many Unity and Unreal projects.
- **Bullet:** open-source and used in games, robotics and film.
- **Chaos:** Unreal Engine 5's own physics system.

## FAQ

**What engine does Tears of the Kingdom use?**
Nintendo's in-house engine with Havok physics, the same foundation as Breath of the Wild.

**Which game engine has the best physics?**
There is no single best. Havok, PhysX and Unreal's Chaos all power excellent games; results depend more on how developers tune them.

**What is an alternative to Havok?**
Common alternatives are Nvidia PhysX, Bullet and the built-in physics of Unity or Unreal.

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https://gamevoyages.com/what-physics-engine-does-botw-use/ · Game Voyage · Checked 2026-10-30