Despite clearing the campaign in John Carpenter's Toxic Commando for my recent review, I'm still diving back in for more. It's a wickedly good time, perfect for quick sessions of unbridled undead carnage. It's a go-to title on my ROG Ally right now, but I'm wondering whether Saber Interactive and Focus Entertainment are aiming to take it to other platforms, like the Nintendo Switch 2. Speaking to Saber's CCO, Tim Willits, I ask him if that's on the cards.
One of the highlights in my John Carpenter's Toxic Commando review is undoubtedly the game's performance on handheld PCs. Despite the sheer volume of chaos unfolding, it holds steady and doesn't fall apart too much under pressure. I speak with Willits about whether Saber Interactive factors these platforms into development decisions.
He shares that "at Saber [Interactive], we look at every viable platform for players to access the game, and in as many different places as possible. We are excited about the capabilities of today's handheld gaming devices, and we will continue to investigate what we need to do to improve performance on those devices."
While it's obvious to say portable gaming consoles like the Steam Deck and ROG Xbox Ally are underpowered compared to a PS5 or Xbox Series X, Willits expresses that tinkering with handhelds is helpful to lock down great overall performance. "One of the things we have discovered with other titles is that getting them running well on handheld devices also helps all the platforms. Sometimes, looking at what it takes to get things running well on limited platforms actually helps the bigger platforms, too," Willits says.
Right now, John Carpenter's Toxic Commando is listed as 'playable' on Steam Deck. This is mainly down to in-game text, but I wonder whether full verification is something the studio is aiming to achieve in the future. As we're speaking ahead of the game's launch, Willits reiterates that the "the team's focus is on having a successful launch of the game. Once released, we will look at what it will take to get full compatibility on platforms like Steam Deck and other handheld devices. It might just work great, but let's get through the launch first and then look at what it will take."
So it's certainly not off the table. Saber Interactive has already deployed a few hotfixes to the FPS game since launch, so it might not be long before that verified badge comes along. What I'm personally confident about, though, is that this game deserves a home on the Nintendo Switch 2. The hardware can handle it, and the developer's last zombie shooter, World War Z, managed to run on the older Nintendo Switch.
"We have not ruled out the [Nintendo] Switch 2; we will continue to assess the platform and make a determination at a later date. We have a great track record with the Switch, and we look forward to developing as much as we can on the Switch 2," he adds. Who knows, with a little luck, the Nintendo Switch 2 could get a decent zombie shooter. I hope so. For more from my chat with Tim Willits, check out the rest of our Toxic Commando interview.