PSN Online ID Name Changes Are Finally Happening

PS4 Pro HDR

Light a candle for EminemFan83: you will very soon be able to change your PSN handles, Sony have officially confirmed.

Much like the way Microsoft do things, you will be able to change your name one time for free with each subsequent change costing money. It costs $10 after the first change, but half as much at $5 if you’re subscribed to PlayStation Plus, which must be the majority at this point.

Those signed up to the PlayStation Preview Program will gain access to the ability to change names first with the test run set to end at the end of November with the full rollout scheduled for early 2019.

Nothing is ever simple in life, and neither is changing your PSN ID, apparently. It will not retroactively apply to games released before April 2018. Sony explains:

“When you change your online ID, you will have the option to display your previous ID with your new ID, so your friends can recognize you. Once you decide to display your old ID or not, you won’t be able to adjust this after completing the online ID change process.

“This feature is compatible with PS4 games originally published after April 1, 2018, and a large majority of the most-played PS4 games that were released before this date. However, please note not all games and applications for PS4, PS3 and PS Vita systems are guaranteed to support the online ID change, and users may occasionally encounter issues or errors in certain games. If for any reason you experience issues after changing your ID, you can revert back to your original ID for free at any time (you will only be able to revert once during the preview program). Reverting back to an old ID will resolve most issues caused by the ID change. In addition, when this feature officially launches, a list of compatible games published before April 1, 2018, will be provided on PlayStation.com for reference before you make a change.”

A little confusing, sure, but it’s a big undertaking for Sony — maybe they will eventually bring the option to wholesale change things, but it likely has as much to do with different developers and the way they handle online IDs as much as it does Sony themselves.

With PlayStation now playing nice with cross-play and the long-awaited name changes finally coming for PSN users, what else is left to tick off the wishlist? Game gifting?

Update: actually, I just realised what I want next. Let me take apps out of TV & Video, jeez.

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