How to change your PSN Name on PS4

Today, Sony will finally unlock the ability to change your PSN Name on PlayStation 4. This much-requested and extremely long-awaited feature means those of us unhappy with those embarrassing names we picked years ago will finally have the chance to tweak them. Read on to learn how to change your PSN Name on PS4.

How to change your PSN Name on PS4

Announced via the official PlayStation Twitter, you can now change your PSN Name and ID. The steps involved are pretty simple, and can be done either from your PS4 itself or on the web. Here are the steps required to change your PSN Name both ways, direct from the PlayStation website:

PlayStation 4:

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

Web browser:

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

There are some caveats to be aware of when changing your name. The biggest point to note is that the first change is free, but any subsequent swaps will cost $9.99 for regular users, and $4.99 for PS Plus members. There are no restrictions on how many times you can change your name, but be aware that you’ll be paying for each swap after the first.

Helpfully, you’ll also have the option to display your old ID next to your new one for 30 days after the swap, so that your friends aren’t confused as to who this person with the excellent new name is.

Decide you don’t like your new name? Don’t worry, you can swap back to your old ID at any time by contacting PlayStation Support. Your old ID will still be tied to your account, meaning no one will be able to steal it while you try out a new name.

Risks to changing your PSN Name

As the ability to change your PSN Name is a new feature, and one many games on PS4weren't built to account for, Sony has released a few warnings to anyone eager to make the swap. To be as clear as possible, here are the risks exactly as they list them:

• 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

The big point of warning there is that you may lose access to paid-for content that you've acquired for older games. While Sony says they only expect this to affect a small number of games, it may cause you to think twice before risking a change if you have an old game you're still working your way through. The good news is that if you do encounter any games, it's possible to revert back to your old ID which "should resolve most issues".

Another point to note is that many older games won’t take into account your ID change and will still display your old name. Sony has stated that any games originally released after April 1, 2018 will be able to handle the swap, but there’s a more comprehensive list of tested games available here.

For more information and an FAQ on how to change PSN Name and your Online ID, visit the official announcement page on the PlayStation Blog.