• News

Sony launches PlayStation name change service today

PlayStation users can now change their PlayStation Network names as of today.

Brittany Vincent

April 10, 2019 7:15 AM

3

At long last, Sony has announced that PlayStation Network users will finally be able to change their online ID today.

PlayStation Network users will be able to alter their names in the United States later today, with European users getting the update tomorrow on April 11. The ID change feature, originally announced via the PlayStation Blog, will be free for the first change and can be accessed via web browser. Any changes beyond that will be $9.99 apiece, and $3.99 for PlayStation Plus members. This brings it more in line with Xbox Live's current gamertag change policy.

If you change your ID and decide you don't like the new one anymore, you can continue to change it as many times as you like or even revert back to the original ID before all the changes. Your ID will always be an option to you, and it will never be taken away, so there's no need to worry about PSN ID recycling with others taking over your xXDarkSynXx420 handle if you decide you want to go back to that persona at some point.

When you change your name, your old PSN ID will be displayed if you prefer next to the new one on your profile for 30 days to help your friends see that it's still the old you and nothing has truly changed – just your name, after all. Of course, there is something to keep in mind if you're planning on taking the plunge. Most of the popular PlayStation 4 titles out there right now will support the name change feature, but others will not.

In fact, Sony notes that games published before April 1, 2018 may not be compatible with new online IDs. If you play one of these games, you might have to revert to your old username and you may even lose access to DLC, which is a huge bummer. To help figure out which games you can use with the feature, Sony put together a list of games that are compatible, those that have several issues, and those with very serious issues. Games like Warframe and Bloodborne feature "critical" issues, which may be a dealbreaker for you. Make sure you consult this list before making any ID changes.

Sony has not commented on whether or not these problems will be fixed in the future, but stay tuned to Shacknews for updates on the situation.

Brittany Vincent

Senior Editor

Fueled by horror, rainbow-sugar-pixel-rushes, and video games, Brittany is a Senior Editor at Shacknews who thrives on surrealism and ultraviolence. Follow her on Twitter @MolotovCupcake and check out her portfolio for more. Like a fabulous shooter once said, get psyched!