PlayStation users can now change their PSN names

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.

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.