The PlayStation Network has been around for well over a decade and finally, today, we will be getting the long-awaited PSN ID Change feature. Sony announced this great news on the PlayStation Blog alongside a lengthy questions and answers section so everyone knows exactly how the PSN ID Change feature will work and that it will be available to all PS4 owners.
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First off, the first PSN ID change is free and afterwards, it will cost $9.99 while PS Plus members will have to pay $4.99. Local pricing for the PSN ID change usage after the initial free one hasn’t been confirmed at the time of writing, but you are probably looking at around R120 or R60 for PS Plus members. With the first change being free, you can finally get rid of the name “ChuckNorris69Bliat” while still keeping all your trophies.
There are, however, some things you should know about the PSN ID change feature. First and most importantly, not all games support this feature. Sony explains that:
We do want to take this opportunity to clarify one point – as a result of the preview program, we’ve found an instance where a game did not fully support the feature, even though it was originally published after April 1, 2018, contrary to what we mentioned in our original announcement. All PS4 games originally published on or after April 1, 2018 have been developed to support the online ID change feature. However, since they have not all been specifically tested with the feature, we cannot guarantee that they will support it.
If you are wondering exactly which games do support the feature, you can check out the full list of tested titles here. Sony revealed a whole lot of information about the PSN ID Change feature releasing sometime later today. Check out the full list of questions and answers regarding this feature below.
PSN ID Change Q&A
Q: Where and how can I change my online ID?
You can either change your online ID on your PS4 or web browser.
PlayStation 4:
- 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.
Web browser:
- Step 1: Sign in to your 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.
Q. Can I change my online ID on my PS3 or PS Vita?
No. The change can only be made through a PS4 system or web browser.
Q: Do I have to pay to change my ID? How much will it cost?
The first change is free, and changes after that will cost $9.99 USD / CAD. For PlayStation Plus members, it will cost $4.99 USD/ CAD for each change after the first one.
Q: Will my friends be able to find me with my new online ID?
When changing your online ID, you’ll have the option to display your old ID next to your new ID in your Profile for 30 days. This will make it easier for your friends to notice your ID change. You can only select this option at the time you are changing your online ID.
Q: How many times can I change my ID?
In general, there are no restrictions to the number of times you can change your online ID.
Q: Can I revert back to my old ID?
You can as long as the old ID doesn’t violate the . You can revert back to any of your previous IDs by contacting PlayStation Support.
Q. Do I have to pay to revert back to an old ID?
No, reverting back is free.
Q: What happens to my old online ID? Can someone else take it?
No, your old online ID is only available to you.
Q: If I change my online ID multiple times, can I revert back to any of my past IDs?
Yes, you can revert back to any of your previous online IDs, as long as those IDs do not violate the .
Q: How many times can I revert back to an old ID?
In general, there are no restrictions to the number of times you can revert your online ID.
Q: Can any account change their online ID?
Child accounts cannot change their online ID.
Q: Do all games support online ID change?
A large majority of the most-played PS4 games that we tested support the feature. We recommend that you check this list of tested games before you make the actual change. PS3 and PS Vita games are not supported.
Q. What do you mean by a game supports the online ID change if it was ‘originally published’ on or after April 1, 2018?
The game must have launched for the first time on or after April 1, 2018, to support the online ID change feature. For example, a game that first launched back in 2013 that has since been re-mastered or re-sold as a ‘complete edition’ in 2018 does not apply.
Q: Why is it that only games published after April 1, 2018 were developed to support online ID change?
Games published after this date were developed using tools that support online ID change at a system level.
Q: Will all PS4 games released in the future support the feature?
All PS4 games originally published on or after April 1, 2018 have been developed to support the online ID change feature, but we do not guarantee that all games will fully support the feature.
Q: I saw that there are a lot of potential issues and risks associated with changing my online ID. How do I know that I won’t run into these?
We recommend that you check this list of tested games before you make the actual change. A large majority of the most-played PS4 games that we tested support the feature, and we expect major issues to occur only in a small number of games.
Q: What kind of issues could I potentially run into?
Below are some of the issues you may encounter. We expect major issues to occur only in a small number of games.
- Your previous Online ID may remain visible to you and other players in some areas.
- You may lose progress within games, including game saved data, leaderboard data, and progress towards Trophies.
- Parts of your game and applications may not function properly both online and offline.
- You may lose access to content (including paid-for content) that you may have acquired for your games including content like add-ons and virtual currency.
Q: What should I do if I encounter an issue by changing my online ID?
If you experience any issues while playing a game that is not on the list of tested games, we recommend that you revert back to your previous online ID that did not have those issues. Reverting back should resolve most issues.
Do you plan on making use of the PSN ID Change feature releasing today? Let us know in the comment section below.
