Is it true? Is it finally happening? What are we talking about… Oh yeah, Sony has announced that they are finally preparing to allow PlayStation Network users to update and change their PSN ID.
Because of the way that IDs were created back in the PS3 days, it has always been difficult for Sony to offer the ability for users to change their actual PlayStation Network Online IDs… until now. Rolling out for testing as part of the PlayStation Preview Program, the online name change feature will go live soon for select users, but there’s a catch. Changing an ID once will be free, but after that it’ll cost users $9.99 or $4.99 if a PS Plus member. Also, there may be some incompatibilities with the new PSN IDs with certain older software, although Sony will offer a way to show both old ID and new ID or revert back to the old name in an emergency.
If all goes well, the feature will roll out to all users in January 2019.
See all the details below or at the PS Blog.
We?re happy to announce that we will soon begin testing the long-awaited feature that will allow users to change their PlayStation Network Online ID from their PlayStation 4 system. The PSN Online ID Change feature beta will be a part of the PlayStation Preview Program, and will become available to select users that have pre-registered as testers for previous PS4 system software betas.
During the preview program, you will be able to change your online ID as many times as you want. 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 after the first change. Changes to online ID can be made through the Settings menu or via the Profile page of your PS4.
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.
The preview program for this feature is scheduled to conclude at the end of November 2018. The full rollout of the feature to all PS4 owners is planned for early 2019, so stay tuned for updates down the road!