One of the biggest responses to the Kingdom Hearts 4 announcement earlier this year was the shock of seeing Sora in a set of unassuming clothes, with shoes that looked at least three sizes smaller than his normal footwear. However, as fashionable as this more modern look for this updated Sora might be, fans shouldn't get to used to the idea that this will be the final decision on the character's appearance.
That being said, this new outfit will likely be something players can expect during the opening hours of Kingdom Hearts 4 during Sora's stay in Quadratum. Beyond this initial gameplay area, it is possible that the style seen from Sora's Quadratum outfit could clue players into what the final outfit might look like for the character in worlds where he has a standard getup.
Quadratum's Initial Outfit
The insight that the Quadratum outfit won't be the same across all worlds in Kingdom Hearts 4 comes directly from Director Tetsuya Nomura, who commented on Sora's visuals in the launch trailer. While Nomura didn't go into detail on what the character might look like outside of Quadratum, the details are limited enough not to give much clue as to how he might look in a different world. More than anything, the Director's comments lend more to the way that Sora is shaded in a more realistic light resembling recent entries in the Final Fantasy series, rather than his clothes in particular.
With that in mind, this comment could give an idea for how Donald and Goofy might look in Quadratum, with toned down shaders that give more realistic lighting effects instead of the cartoon style they are seen with in the trailer. In the case of Sora, this could only mean that the visual flair of the character's outfit might change in later stages of Kingdom Hearts 4, but not the entire outfit as a whole. That means that this Quadratum outfit could simply be a styled down version of what he wears for the rest of the game.
Sora's Changing Outfits in other Kingdom Hearts Worlds
The Kingdom Hearts series is no stranger to giving Sora fantastical outfits as he moves from world to world. This is seen most impressively in Kingdom Hearts 3's worlds, most of which have some sort of updated look for Sora that helps him fit in with the scenery better than in past games. One notable case shown in Kingdom Hearts 2 is the way that both games handle Sora in the more color muted pallet of the Pirates of the Caribbean worlds. Specifically speaking, the comparison comes from the clash of bright colorful Sora in his first adventure with Jack Sparrow, and his pirate coat that blends better in the latter visit to the pirate islands.
So, with a precedent already set for how Sora's outfit often changes, the parts that change and the parts that remain the same are something to be considered when anticipating his updated look. Similar to the previous example of Pirates of the Caribbean, Quadratum in Kingdom Hearts 4 brings a more muted pallet that should give Sora a more realistic look. However, as some fans have pointed out for how strange Sora looks, he seems to have also lost most of his spikey hair and the large shoes that usually complete his outfits.
Considering the realistic look of Quadratum, it's safe to say that the designers for Sora had to think about his shoes fitting in with others around him, and his hair had to be something that was more realistic. These are all likely things that fans will see change as Sora makes the jump back and forth between the familiar Disney worlds and the Realm of Fiction where Quadratum seemingly resides. So, while the color-scheme of the jacket, shorts, and shoes might be the final design, fans likely haven't seen Sora's true outfit in all of its Kingdom Hearts glory.
Kingdom Hearts 4 is currently in development.