Home » Kingdom Hearts Collection [I~III] (Preview)

Kingdom Hearts Collection [I~III] is the latest, most likely not the last, collection of games from the Kingdom Hearts series. It offers a smoother experience, and for Switch 2 owners, it’s a must-have.

Presenting in More Ways than One

Square Enix had a variety of game demos to try on their big titles such as Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World and Final Fantasy VII Revelation, but over at a smaller location there stood a Nintendo Switch 2 console with the Kingdom Hearts Collection waiting to be played.

We didn’t spend too much time experimenting with the game, but there are some notes to share about the experience of playing on the Nintendo Switch 2 in handheld mode. The entire collection is loaded as three separate game applications: KINGDOM HEARTS -HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX-, KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue, and KINGDOM HEARTS III + Re Mind, matching the same separate applications you can purchase separately on the online store. Everything is downloaded and not through a cloud system.

Opening each application, you’re presented a menu with options of titles to play or watch. Ideally, I wish there was only one application to present all titles, making it feel more of a true collection than separating them like the purchasing options. I think having the setup to do one application, and if you did not purchase a specific application, lock them in the menu. This would make less of a mess and a cleaner presentation for all players to enjoy.

A Smooth Ride

In this short timed demo, we played a few minutes with Kingdom Hearts II and Kingdom Hearts III to see how well they ran on the Nintendo Switch 2’s handheld mode.

Jumping into Kingdom Hearts II in the midst of battle in the underworld of Hades’s realm, the game certainly brought back memories when originally playing on the PlayStation 2. Instead, the visuals look clean, crisp, and carry smooth frame rates. The control and camera remain the same functionality. Don’t expect much or hardly any changes from the original.

In Kingdom Hearts III, the game feels much smoother than its predecessor. It feels pretty wild playing the third installment on Switch 2’s handheld since the game was originally released on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in 2019. Exploring the world of Olympus once more, felt like revisiting an old friend but in a new experience. After playing a short gameplay of the third entry, my preferences are now shifted to play the series again on the Switch 2.

Exploring it Again

Outside of how these games are listed and displayed on your platform, this new Kingdom Hearts collection did bring a positive experience, and if you haven’t purchased these games yet or are looking to play them on your Nintendo Switch 2, this looks like a solid piece to own.

Kingdom Hearts Collection [I~III] is set to launch for the Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on October 8, 2026. Fans can visit the game’s official website for additional information and purchasing options. We appreciate Square Enix for giving us the opportunity to test out the latest Kingdom Hearts collection at PAX West.