With the release of Square Enix’sFinal Fantasy 16andFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthin the rearview mirror, many fans have turned their attention to the next major titles most likely to be released by the developer. Although Square Enix has confirmed that bothDragon Quest 12andKingdom Hearts 4are currently in development, the latter seems to be the more likely candidate for a release date in the near future. Not only couldKingdom Hearts 4be released sooner than expected, but it could potentially have major implications for Nintendo fans and the company’s next console.
Kingdom Heartsfans are already in for a treat with the series recently announced to becoming to Steam next monthafter being exclusive to the Epic Games Store on PC. The mainlineKingdom Heartsgames have historically been exclusive to PlayStation, so the series' foray into other platforms such as PC via the Epic Games Store, Xbox consoles and Game Pass, and even the Switch through cloud version releases is a good sign for the franchise’s multi-platform future. However, the Switch’s cloud versions have always felt like the inferior way to play the games, and the Switch 2 has the chance to rectify this misstep.
Kingdom Hearts 4 Needs to Run Natively on the Switch 2
According to credibleSega leaker Midori,Kingdom Hearts 4and the rest of the series might be coming to the Switch 2. Although Midori has a near-perfect track record with Sega leaks, it’s unclear if they have inside information about Square Enix games or if this information is just speculation on their part, so fans may want to take this leak with a grain of salt. IfKingdom Hearts 4does come to the Switch’s successor, Square Enix needs to ensure it avoids the mistakes of the series' release on the current Switch console and haveKingdom Hearts 4run natively on Nintendo’s next hardware.
This feat wouldn’t be too far out of the question if rumors about the Switch 2’s hardware are true.Leaked Switch 2 hardware shipmentssuggest the performance capabilities of Nintendo’s next console will be on par with the PS4 while in handheld mode, and between the PS4 Pro and Xbox Series S in docked mode. Given that the rest of theKingdom Heartsfranchise can run natively on these consoles, it would make sense that the Switch 2 could handle the games with ease and even support a scaled-down version ofKingdom Hearts 4as well.
The Kingdom Hearts Series' Cloud Versions on the Switch Were a Huge Blunder
Fans are in dire need of an acceptable way to play theKingdom Heartsseries on a Nintendo console after the cloud versions of the franchise failed in many ways to live up to player expectations. WhileKingdom Heartsseries is technically playable on the Switchvia the cloud versions ofKingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Re:Mix,Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue, andKingdom Hearts 3 Re:Mind, the requirement to stream the cloud versions of these games to the console makes them far from the ideal way to experience the franchise. Long load times, input lag, and poor video quality make these releases inferior versions of the games.
Square Enix can’t repeat this error with aKingdom Hearts 4release on the Switch 2, and the rumor suggesting the entire series is coming to the console is a good sign that the company is planning to re-release them as native versions. However, it is also possible that therumored backward compatibility of the Switch 2could mean that Square Enix simply plans to make the existing cloud versions of the game available on the Switch’s successor. If this is the case, fans might need to brace forKingdom Hearts 4coming to the console as a cloud version as well.
Kingdom Hearts 4
Kingdom Hearts 4 is an action RPG developed by Square Enix and represents the fifteenth installment in the franchise. Players once again are put in the shoes of Sora who is suddenly trapped in a more realistic world called Quadratum, with companions like Donald and Goofy attempting to rescue him. Kingdom Hearts 4 is a direct sequel to Kingdom Hearts 3 and Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory.
