Can you change your PS4 online ID name?

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How to change your PSN Online ID: Get a new username on PS4 or PS5

Can you change your PS4 online ID name?
Rik Henderson, Senior news editor

Can you change your PS4 online ID name?
· 17 May 2021 ·

News Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.

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Can you change your PS4 online ID name?

- Free for the first change

- But some games might show issues

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Can you change your PS4 online ID name?
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(Pocket-lint) - Sony is finally allowing you to change your PlayStation Network Online ID.

You can now choose a new username you wish to be known as when playing games on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and PS4 Pro.

There are a few caveats, however, including possible conflicts in certain games. It can also cost you cold hard cash should you want to change it more than once.

Here then are the steps you need to take to change your PSN ID and some of the pitfalls you might experience.

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How to change your PSN Online ID on PS5 or PS4

  1. Start the PlayStation 5 or PS4 and head to Settings.
  2. Go to Account Management > Account Information > Profile > Online ID.
  3. There you can enter any new name you fancy and check whether it is available. If not, you can choose from one of the available suggestions instead.
  4. Follow any on-screen messages to finish.
  5. Voila, you have a new PSN Online ID.

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How to change your PSN Online ID on a PC or Mac

  1. Open a web browser and head to the PlayStation Network website, sign into your account and click on PSN Profile in the left-hand column.
  2. Click on the Edit button next to your existing PSN Online ID.
  3. Enter your new name or choose one of the available suggestions.
  4. Follow any on-screen prompts to finish.
  5. All done.

You cannot change your PSN ID on a PS Vita or PS3.

There will be costs if you change more than once

If you want to change it again, you will incur a fee.

The first change is free, but further changes will cost £7.99/€9.99/$9.99 per change for non-PlayStation Plus members.

PS Plus members will be charged £3.99/€4.99/$4.99 for each additional change.

Changing your PSN Online ID could cause issues with many games

There are a fair few online games that could be impacted negatively if you change your ID.

Sony has discovered issues during tests that range from your old username still being visible all the way to the loss of save games and, even, access to paid-for content.

There is a list of the games that could face issues here, along with some of the problems you might encounter.

Games for PS3 and PS Vita do not support a change to a PSN ID and may also suffer major issues.

Reverting back to your old PSN Online ID

You can revert back to your previous ID (or any in your account history if you change multiple times) for free by contacting PlayStation support.

The long-requested feature to change PSN usernames will finally be a reality at some point today. The process of changing your name is pretty simple. However, there can be some unfortunate consequences of doing so for certain games.

To change your username, here are the instructions from Sony:

On PS4:

  • Step 1: From your PS4 go to [Settings].
  • Step 2: Select [Account Management] > [Account Information] > [Profile] > [Online ID].
  • Step 3: Enter an Online ID of your choice or choose from one of the suggestions.
  • Step 4: Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the change.

On a Browser:

  • Step 1: Sign in to your PlayStation Network account and select PSN Profile in the menu.
  • Step 2: Select the Edit button that’s next to your Online ID.
  • Step 3: Enter an Online ID of your choice or choose from one of the suggestions.
  • Step 4: Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the change.

However, Sony notes that changing your username may affect a number of games. The potential issues range from trophy progress being halted to losing save data, access to content or currency purchased in games, and even parts of a game not functioning. Sony says that only a small batch of games have been affected by the biggest issues so far, which you can read here. Some of the titles majorly affected by username changes include Little Big Planet 3, The Golf Club 2, Everybody's Golf, and Onrush.

What happens if I change my PlayStation ID name?

You may lose your progress within those games, including game saved data, leaderboard data, and progress toward trophies. Parts of those games might not function properly, both online and offline. Your previous online ID(s) may remain visible to you and other players in some places.

How much does it cost to change your online ID on PS4?

It costs $9.99 per username change on an account. However, if you have a PS Plus subscription, Sony offers a 50% discount, meaning you can change your username for $4.99.

Can you change your online ID on PS4 for free?

You can change your PlayStation Network name from your console or from the PSN website. You can change your PSN name once for free, but Sony charges a small fee for subsequent changes. Not all games are fully compatible with new usernames, there's the risk of some data loss with certain PS4 games.

Why can't I change my PS4 online ID?

One of the main reasons you cannot change your Playstation Network ID is if PSN's servers are down. Since all your account data are stored on their servers, you can't access or change anything if PSN is down. To confirm this, you can visit Playstation's official page, where you can view the status of their services.