Summary
Though theKingdom Heartsfranchise was largely relegated to PlayStation and Nintendo consoles throughout most of its lifespan, the series has been available on PC for a couple of years. In fact, in 2021,Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5+2.5 Remix,Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue,Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory, andKingdom Hearts 3 + Re Mind (DLC)were all ported to the platform simultaneously, following years of requests from fans. Unfortunately, though, the series was only available on Epic Games Store at the time, with a Steam release being nowhere in sight. Eventually, theKingdom Heartsgames finally made their debut on Valve’s popular PC gaming storefront on June 09, 2025, roughly three years after their initial EGS launch.
With the release oftheKingdom Heartsfranchise on Steamcame official compatibility support for the series on Steam Deck. Now that they’re no longer relegated to the Epic Games Store, theKHgames finally run well on Valve’s PC handheld right out of the gate, with no additional tinkering required. The titles are quite suitable for on-the-go gaming with the Steam Deck; so much so, in fact, that Nintendo fans might lament the lack of natively-playable mainlineKingdom Heartsgames on the Nintendo Switch. While the ship may have sailed for this console in particular, Square Enix still has the opportunity to make a major splash with this acclaimed franchise on the upcoming Switch 2.
Most of the Kingdom Hearts Games on Nintendo Switch are Cloud-Only
TheKingdom Heartsseries has made an appearance on every Nintendo handheld since the Game Boy Advance, mostly with original spin-offs designed exclusively for those platforms. However, the series' presence on the Nintendo Switch has been somewhat more muted in comparison, as there haven’t been many brand-new titles that have been released natively on the console. That being said, the majority oftheKingdom Heartsfranchise has technically been playable on Switchsince 2022, including all the compilations currently available on Steam and EGS. However, unlike on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC, these titles — with the exception of the 2020 rhythm gameKingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory— are only available via cloud streaming on Nintendo’s hybrid platform, meaning that Switch users need to be persistently connected to the internet to even boot these games up.
When Square Enix first announced these cloud-only releases, many were baffled by the lack ofnativeKingdom Heartsports for the Nintendo Switch, especially because the majority of these titles made their debut on consoles considerably weaker than Nintendo’s hybrid handheld. While2019’sKingdom Hearts 3not receiving a native port on the Switch was somewhat understandable given its graphical intensity, a compilation likeKingdom Hearts HD 1.5+2.5 Remixseemed like it would’ve been a perfect fit for the console, as it was originally released on the PlayStation 3.
The Kingdom Hearts Series Could Have a Big Presence on the Switch 2
Now that two years have passed since the release of thesecloud-only Switch ports, it seems unlikely that Square Enix will reconsider its decision and bring these games natively to the platform. That doesn’t rule out the possibility ofKingdom Heartstitles getting native re-releases on the Nintendo Switch 2, however. If the Switch simply isn’t powerful enough to handle games likeKH 3andKH HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue, then the improved technical capabilities of Nintendo’s next console could finally allow for such ports to be feasible.
Square Enix could even take things a step further by releasingKingdom Hearts 4on the Switch 2 day-one as well. Currently, it’s unknown what platforms the next installment in theKHfranchise will be available on, but given thatSquare Enix recently revealed its plans to aggressively pursue a multiplatform strategy, it seems likely that the game will be on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, at the very least. As such, if the Switch 2 is powerful enough, then releasingKingdom Hearts 4natively on the upcoming console should be a top priority for the Japanese publisher. Not only would that make the title more accessible, but it’d also introduce theKingdom Heartsfranchise to a brand-new audience in a major way.
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.
