We’re excited to announce that 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, and that feature will also be available starting today. Thanks to all of you who participated in the beta preview program back in October/November and who gave us your feedback!
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. For more details and information, we encourage you to refer to the list of tested games before making a change to your online ID. Do keep in mind that the large majority of most actively played PS4 games support the feature.
We’re sure you have questions about this long-awaited feature and how it all works. This FAQ should have the answers you seek, but if not, just leave us a note in the comments below. We’ll do our best to update this document or respond in the comments section.
There’s also a section on our PlayStation support page that may help answer additional questions, which you can check out here.
Now without further ado, on to the FAQ!
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 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.
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 Terms of Service. 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 Terms of Service.
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.
