The PlayStation Network will finally allow PSN name changes starting today, according to a surprise Sony announcement made early this morning. PSN IDs have previously been set in stone, with many gamers lamenting the fact that they were stuck with usernames that they had made over a decade ago.
Sony noted in the past that the company would be addressing PSN name changes soon, and that the function would carry with it several caveats that might make PlayStation owners a little hesitant to embrace the changes. When Sony announced the feature would be coming prior, it also acknowledged that every PS4 game published after April 1, 2018 would adhere to the PSN ID change system without a hitch—although it was still unclear what those issues might be even if they were present. For context, the ability to change a username has been a feature for other services, like Xbox Live and Battle.net, for years, although they typically charge a nominal fee for users who switch often.
According to Sony, there are two ways for players to implement a PSN ID change. First, players can use the PS4 settings menu on their console to enact the change. Alternatively, players can use their web browser to access their PSN account and make the switch from there. The first name change will be free for users who wish to do so, but after that, every subsequent name change will cost $9.99, with no limit to the amount of changes a user can make. Those who make a PSN name change and then later regret it will also have the option to revert back to their previous one for free, although it’s unclear how long the previous ID will be held by Sony and what will happen if it’s taken and then a user wants to revert back to it.
There are also some troubling potential problems, though, that users should be fully aware of before jumping into the new PSN name change service. According to Sony, players may encounter problems with losing Trophy tracking, leaderboard data and—this one is the kicker—saved game progress. If that weren’t frightening enough, some DLC, including that which players have paid real money for, may not be accessible to users once they make the name change. Sony has provided a list of games that are officially compatible with the PSN ID change service here, and it also lists games that have had issues with the service already.
Clearly, the PSN name change service is something that should only be done if a user is confident it won’t affect the games they are playing or if their username is so atrociously bad that they’re willing to risk losing progress and paid content to get rid of it. Given that the PlayStation Network is over a decade old now, there’s probably a surprising number of people in that second camp, so the addition of PSN ID changes is a welcome one to Sony’s repertoire, though the company should really look into making the process a lot smoother as quickly as possible. It’s 2019—having a name change service is basically expected, and one of the largest gaming companies in the world having one that could potentially break all kinds of important user experiences is still inexcusable.
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Source: PlayStation Blog
