'Kingdom Hearts 3' Release Time PS4, Xbox One: Here's When Fans Can Play

Almost a full 13 years have passed since Kingdom Hearts II. Like with many of its releases, Japanese video game developer Square Enix chose to release its direct sequel, Kingdom Hearts III, in Japan first, with a North American release date this week.

So the only thing on everyone’s mind is when and how they can start playing Kingdom Hearts III as soon as humanly possible, and perhaps which retailer might be the best for fans to buy the game from in person. Thankfully, we’ve got you covered with everything gamers need to know about the KH3 release.

What Time Does Kingdom Hearts 3 Release?

There’s no official word from Square Enix about the Kingdom Hearts III release time, but according to the online stores for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the game releases at exactly 12 midnight Eastern, just as the day turns to Tuesday, January 29.

That does mean that those in the west coast can access the game at 9 p.m. local time, technically still Monday, January 28.

Pre-Order Bonuses: Where to Pre-Order Kingdom Hearts 3?

Just about every retailer selling Kingdom Hearts III tosses in some bonuses for anyone who pre-orders, meaning players will have to act quickly to secure those benefit. We don’t know what kind of deal Amazon made with Square Enix to make it happen, but Amazon is easily the best place to get Kingdom Hearts III.

Here’s a quick roundup of all the options, from best to worst:

• Amazon: Dawn til Dusk Keyblade DLC, $10 Credit Back (Verdict: best deal around.)
• PlayStation or Microsoft Store: Exclusive Theme(s) and Midnight Blue or Phantom Green Keyblade DLC (Verdict:
• Best Buy: Blind Box Key Chain, $10 Reward (Verdict: Pretty good but no DLC)
• GameStop: Exclusive Fabric Poster (Verdict: Probably the best of the art-related perks.)
• Walmart: 3 Art Cards (Verdict: barely better than Square Enix store.)
• Square Enix Store: Sticker Set (Verdict: not worth it.)

The obvious move here is to pre-order either directly through the console store or from Amazon to get the extra Keyblade. It’s worth noting that the Amazon exclusive Keyblade has specific perks towards Fire magic, PlayStation to Ice magic, and Xbox One to Thunder.

For anyone with Amazon Prime, they might as well go for that extra $10 back too, right?

How Large Is the Kingdom Hearts III Game File?

Kingdom Hearts III is between 35 and 40 GB, depending on whether we’re talking the Xbox One versus the PlayStation 4 version, the latter of which is supposedly a bit larger. Either way, fans should have a good idea of how much space they’ll need on their system. This is pretty average size for standard video games.

Again, pre-ordering a digital version and downloading ahead of the official release is the quickest way to play. Retailers like Amazon often guarantee release date arrival on shipping, but in most cases that means it’ll be delivered by 8 p.m. local time, so that could mean a full 20 hours later than other players

Don’t Bother Trying to Get the GameStop’s Special Edition Kingdom Hearts 3 PlayStation 4 Pro

For any Kingdom Hearts fans who still hadn’t gotten a PlayStation 4 Pro, GameStop’s special edition looked like the perfect excuse — but the retailer announced on January 25 that it did not have the inventory to cover the large number of pre-orders. That means for anyone who wants one, it’ll now be impossible. For many who pre-ordered it, they’ve probably already received their cancellation notification.

Kingdom Hearts III will be released in North America on January 29, 2019.