PlayStation customers can finally update their PlayStation Network IDs, a long-awaited feature that Sony announced in October, starting Wednesday. As previously noted by Sony, the option to change your PSN name comes with a few caveats. The PSN online ID change feature is supported by games “originally published on or after April 1, 2018,” but the company warns that it cannot guarantee that all games “fully support the feature.” According to Sony, at least 10 games have known “critical issues” as a result of the change, including Sony-published titles like Everybody’s Golf, LittleBigPlanet 3, and some MLB The Show games. Those critical issues include losing progress in games or toward PlayStation Trophies and losing in-game currency (earned or paid) associated with those games. Other games that don’t work fully with PSN online ID change feature include Bloodborne, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, Grand Theft Auto 5, The Last of Us, NBA 2K19, and Warframe. The issues related to those titles and others include less serious problems like previous online IDs displaying and games initializing to their default state. A full list of games tested to support or have issues with PSN name changes is available at the PlayStation website. Changing your PlayStation Network ID is free the first time. Sony is charging $9.99 to change a PSN ID beyond that initial change (PlayStation Plus subscribers will pay $4.99). More details about the feature are available at the PlayStation Blog. Update: This post has been updated with additional clarification about some of the critical issues Sony outlined related to certain games.<doc-sep>PlayStation reveal 500 Million Limited Edition PS4 Pro FREE for the biggest new releases, reviews and tech hacks SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up forfor the biggest new releases, reviews and tech hacks When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. PS4 name change feature is launching soon with PlayStation fans soon able to change their PSN Online ID. The PS4 name change feature was first tested back in October and November of last year. But it will now have its wider rollout on Thursday April 11, with PS4 users from then able to change their PS4 name. In a post online Sid Shuman, Director of Social Media at SIEA, explained how the PS4 name change feature will work. Sid wrote: “We’re excited to announce that the online ID change feature on PSN is officially launching to all PlayStation 4 owners from tomorrow. “You’ll also be able to change your online ID via a web browser, and that feature will also be available from tomorrow. “Thanks to all of you who participated in the beta preview program back in October/November and who gave us your feedback!” PSN users will be able to change their PS4 name using either their PlayStation 4 console or doing it via a web browser. Here is how you can change your PS4 name… PS4 name change - How do you change PSN Online ID? When does PS4 name change update drop? PS4 NAME CHANGE - 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. Trending PS4 NAME CHANGE - ON WEB BROWSER • Step 1: Sign in to your account on the PlayStation Network 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. The PSN name change feature will go live on Thursday April 11 The PSN name change can only be done via a PS4 or web browser - it can’t be done through a PS3 or PS Vita system. The first time users change their PS4 name it will be free - but after that PlayStation fans will be charged. After the first PSN name change every name change after that will cost £7.99. For PlayStation Plus members it will cost £3.99 for every name change after the first free name change. The PSN name change feature will only be supported on games originally published after April 1 2018. Explaining why this is the case the PlayStation Blog said: “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.” They added: “Games published after this date were developed using tools that support online ID change at a system level.” PlayStation Plus announces monthly games for April The PlayStation team also recommended PS4 fans check the list of tested games before changing their PSN name. You can click here to be directed to the list of games tested for the PS4 name change feature. The PS Blog added that users may encounter these issues after changing their PSN Online ID: • Your previous Online ID may remain visible to you and other players in some areas. The PSN name change was first tested back in October last year<doc-sep>If you’re not happy with your PSN name, Sony is letting PlayStation users change it starting today. The feature launched in beta in October 2018, but anyone will be able to do it either on their PS4 console or through a browser. I’m one of those cool people who makes all of my usernames into a play on my actual name, so I’m still pretty happy with “faulknerd,” but if your PSN name doesn’t xX_reflect_Xx the current you, it’s easy to change it. In terms of pricing, the first name change is free. After that, if you decide that you’d like to change it again, it’ll cost you $9.99 each time. But if you are a PlayStation Plus subscriber, it’s only $4.99 for repeat name adjustments. Sony claims in its FAQ that your old usernames will still belong to you, and if you choose to, you can roll back to a previous PSN name for free. To smooth over the adjustment process of having a new name for both you and your PSN friends, there’s an option to display your prior name next to your new one for 30 days. Games released on or after April 1st, 2018 shouldn’t present any issues Most PS4 games released on or after April 1st, 2018 —when developers started using tools that allow for a user’s name to change at the system level — should work fine with your new name. Sony says that a “large majority of the most actively played PS4 games” will work just fine, though it doesn’t guarantee support. Sony has published lists of games that experience no issues, games with known issues, and games with critical issues. If a game has issues, your experience could range from minor oddities, like your previous PSN name popping up in-game instead of your new one, to somewhat extreme problems, like your save data and leaderboard status may not carry over, and you might lose access to paid DLC. Big exclusives like God of War and Spider-Man make the date cutoff, but quite a few of the PS4’s gems were released before April 1st, 2018, and are included in the “games with issues identified” list. Bloodborne, Grand Theft Auto V, Warframe, and Uncharted 4, all have issues, among others. Sony says that reverting back to your old PSN name should resolve most issues, though, once again, it makes no guarantee about that. I didn’t think that I’d have to say this, but you should think twice before changing your PSN name.<doc-sep>Sony has announced that PlayStation 4 users will finally be able to change their PlayStation Network Online ID. According to a blog post by Sony's Social Media Director, Sid Shuman, the "online ID change feature on PSN is officially launching to all PlayStation 4 owners later today". You'll also be able to change your online ID via a web browser later today (April 10 for the US and April 11 for Europe) – you'll simply need to sign in to your PlayStation Network account to do so. The feature appears to be set for release worldwide, but Sony hasn't announced official pricing in Australia yet. Sony says that "the change can only be made through a PS4 system or web browser", so you won't be able to do it on a PS3 or the now discontinued PS Vita. Potential issues Sony says that the first time you change your ID the service is free, but after that you will need to pay $9.99 / £7.99 (around AU$15), unless you are PlayStation Plus member, in which case it will cost you $4.99 / £3.99 (around AU$7). Not all games will support the online ID change feature. Sony says while "all PS4 games originally published on or after April 1, 2018 have been developed to support the online ID change feature", it found an instance where a game "did not fully support the feature" during its beta preview program last year. Sony also warns that there are a few issues that could arise as a result of changing your online ID, saying you could "lose progress within games, including game saved data, leaderboard data, and progress towards Trophies".<doc-sep>
Now that Sony has announced that PlayStation 4 users will finally be able to change their PlayStation Network Online ID , gamers with embarrassing PSN names across the world are breathing a sigh of relief. But how do you actually change your PSN ID? How much does it cost? And are there any risks involved? Read on for everything you need to know about changing your PS4 name. How do I change my PSN Online ID on PlayStation 4? You can either change your online ID on your PS4 or through your web browser, so you won't be able to do it on a PS3 or the discontinued PS Vita . To change it on your PS4, head to Settings, and then select Account Management. From there go to Account Information > Profile > Online ID. From there Sony says you simply need to “follow the on-screen prompts to complete the change”. How do I change my PSN ID in my web browser? To change your online ID in your web browser you’ll need to log in to your PlayStation Network account and select ‘PSN Profile’ in the menu. Once there, click on the Edit button next your Online ID, and you’ll be able to enter a new ID – or select one from a list of suggestions. Image credit: Sony How much does it cost to change my PSN ID? According to a blog post by Sony's Social Media Director, Sid Shuman “the first time you change your ID the service is free, but after that you will need to pay $9.99 / £7.99 (around AU$15), unless you’re PlayStation Plus member, in which case it will cost you $4.99 / £3.99 (around AU$7). The feature appears to be set for release worldwide, however Sony hasn't announced official pricing in Australia yet. If you change your mind, you can revert back to your old ID for free, as many times as you like. Are there any risks to changing my PSN ID? There are some risks associated with changing your PlayStation ID, as not all games support the feature. Sony says that while "all PS4 games originally published on or after April 1, 2018 have been developed to support the online ID change feature", it found an instance where a game from this time period "did not fully support the feature" during its beta preview program last year. There are also a number of games that are known to have “critical issues” with the online ID change feature, including LittleBigPlanet 3 and Just Dance 2017. Sony has released a list of tested games , so you can see if games you play regularly are affected. Online ID change causes critical issues in LittleBigPlanet 3 (Image credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment) Some of the issues that can arise include losing “progress within games, including game saved data, leaderboard data, and progress towards Trophies", your previous Online ID remaining visible to you and other players, parts of games not functioning properly “both online and offline”. Sony says that you also “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”. However, the company claims that that reverting back to your old ID should resolve most issues that arise.