Image via Square Enix/Pixar
News about Kingdom Hearts IV, which has been heavily anticipated for years, has finally been released via a new trailer shown during the 2026 D23 showcase on August 14, 2026. The trailer has confirmed that the game will launch in 2027, and it will be available across all major consoles immediately.
This isn’t the first time that a Kingdom Hearts title will appear on a Nintendo Console, but it is the first time a major game has released this way. Typically, handheld-capable additions to the series have been spin-offs, like Chain of Memories for the Game Boy Advance or 358/2 Days for the Nintendo DS. Traditionally, the bigger titles have been PlayStation exclusive upon launch, with Kingdom Hearts III breaking the mold in 2019 with a PS4 and Xbox launch.
However, this time around, accessibility will be at a new high, with a cross-platform launch that sets Sora’s next adventure comfortably in the hands of Switch 2 players.
Kingdom Hearts 4 Comes to Switch 2 in Late 2027
As confirmed in the trailer for Kingdom Hearts 4 shared during the 2026 D23 showcase, the game will release in late 2027. This indicates a holiday launch window, though the exact month has not yet been confirmed.
During the trailer, it was confirmed that one of the worlds Sora will visit will be based on the Pixar movie “Coco”. This is exciting news, as most of the information about KH4 up until this point has been very brief trailers of the more realistic world that Sora seems to be lost in. However, the inclusion of “Coco” indicates that world-hopping to popular Disney and Pixar movie settings will be a part of the fourth installment.
The trailer also confirms that Sora has been separated from the rest of his friends, and that King Mickey, Donald, and Goofy are trying to locate him – even going so far as to visit Hades from Disney’s “Hercules” to ask if he had passed away.
The graphics for the game look incredible, with standard gameplay visuals matching the high-quality cutscenes of past games. It also appears that several new characters will play an important role in Sora’s story while he is separated from the rest of the squad.
The trailer concludes with the reveal of the release year, as well as the confirmation that the game will be available on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC via Xbox, PC via Steam, and PC via the Epic Games Store on launch.
The ability to play a major installment of the Kingdom Hearts franchise on a handheld console like the Nintendo Switch is a complete game changer. For many, sitting down at a home console to play a full-length game is getting harder and harder to do. Most of us work multiple jobs, have children, or are busy balancing the requirements of life, and that leaves very little time to sit down on the couch and completely veg out to a nostalgic joyride like Kingdom Hearts.
The opportunity to play Kingdom Hearts IV from any location is going to make accessibility to the new title top-tier, and provide many with a chance to experience the story that they may otherwise have missed out on. Additionally, the price of the Switch 2 is still more reasonable than home consoles, which are slowly creeping up in price each year.
While there is over a year to go until Kingdom Hearts IV hits shelves, this update is great news for those of us who have been waiting years for information. Hopefully, more trailers will drop before the year is over.
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