How to Change Your PSN Name on PS5, PS4, the App or Web

To change your PSN name on PS5, go to Settings > Users and Accounts > Account > Profile > Online ID. Enter an available name, decide whether to show your old ID beside it for 30 days, and confirm the change. Your first PlayStation online ID change is free; later changes carry a charge displayed during checkout.

You can also change your online ID from a PS4, the PlayStation App, or PlayStation Account Management in a browser. The process signs you out of all devices, and Sony recommends checking your games afterward because some PS4 titles can experience problems when an online ID changes.

PSN name, online ID and sign-in ID: what is changing?

Players often call it a “PSN name,” but Sony’s official term is online ID. It is the public username other players see on your profile, friends list, trophies, multiplayer sessions, and supported linked services.

Your online ID is not the same as:

• Sign-in ID: the email address used to access your PlayStation account.
• Password or passkey: the credential used to authenticate the account.
• Real name: profile information whose visibility depends on your privacy settings.
• Console user name: a local user label on a particular PS5 or PS4.

Changing the online ID does not create a new account, erase your trophies, or transfer purchases to another account. Your PlayStation account remains the same, but the public identifier attached to it changes.

How to change your PSN name on PS5

1. From the PS5 home screen, open Settings.
2. Select Users and Accounts.
3. Choose Account.
4. Select Profile.
5. Select Online ID.
6. Enter the new online ID you want.
7. If it is available, select Confirm.
8. Choose whether to display your previous online ID next to the new one for 30 days.
9. Select Order & Pay to finish. The first change should show no charge.

After the change is completed, PlayStation signs the account out on all devices. Sign back in with the same email address and password or passkey you normally use. The new online ID is a display-name change, not a new sign-in credential.

How to change your PSN name on PS4

1. Open Settings.
2. Select Account Management.
3. Select Account Information.
4. Open Profile.
5. Select Online ID.
6. Enter a new online ID and select Continue if it is available.
7. Choose whether to show your old ID alongside the new one for 30 days.
8. Review and confirm the change.

PS3 and PlayStation Vita do not support the online-ID change process. Use a supported console, the PlayStation App, or a browser instead.

How to change your PSN name in the PlayStation App

1. Open the PlayStation App and select the Play menu using the controller icon.
2. Select your profile picture to open your profile.
3. Select Edit Profile.
4. Enter your account password when requested.
5. Select Edit next to your online ID.
6. Enter the new name and select Check Availability.
7. If it is available, select Continue.
8. Choose whether your previous online ID should appear for 30 days.
9. Complete the checkout process.

The option may open an account-management page inside the app. That is normal. Make sure you are changing the online ID on the correct PlayStation account before confirming.

How to change your PlayStation online ID on the web

1. Open PlayStation Account Management and sign in.
2. Select Profile in the sidebar.
3. Select Edit next to your current online ID.
4. Enter a new ID and select Check Availability.
5. If the name is available, select Continue.
6. Choose whether to show the previous ID for 30 days.
7. Review the order and confirm the change.

Sony documents all four methods in its official online ID change guide.

How much does it cost to change a PSN name?

The first online ID change is free. PlayStation says additional changes carry a charge and that an online ID can be changed as many times as you want.

Sony’s current US support page does not publish a fixed dollar amount in the instructions, so check the price shown on the confirmation screen before approving a second or later change. Do not assume an older price found in a forum or outdated guide still applies.

The checkout wording can appear even when the first change is free. Review the displayed total before selecting the final confirmation button.

What makes a PSN name unavailable?

A name can fail the availability check because another account already uses it, it does not meet PlayStation’s formatting rules, or it conflicts with PlayStation’s Terms of Service and Code of Conduct.

If your preferred name is taken, try a readable variation rather than adding a long string of random characters. A short word, initials, or a consistent number can make the name easier for friends to recognize and search.

PlayStation warns that an ID found to violate its rules may be replaced with a temporary name in the format Temp-xxxxxx. If that happens, the account holder can select a compliant new ID or may be able to revert to the original when the original itself did not violate the rules.

Should you display your old PSN name for 30 days?

Usually, yes. During the change process, PlayStation lets you show the previous online ID beside the new one on your profile for 30 days. That gives friends time to recognize the account and reduces confusion in multiplayer groups.

You must choose this option while changing the name. Sony’s instructions do not describe a way to switch it on afterward. If you play regularly with people who know only the old ID, enable the temporary display.

Can changing your PSN name cause game problems?

It can, particularly with older PS4 games. Sony warns that an online ID change may cause issues including lost game progress, missing content, or broken functionality. PlayStation maintains an official list of PS4 games tested with online ID changes.

Before changing the name:

• Check Sony’s tested-games list for older PS4 titles you still play.
• Synchronize trophies while connected to PlayStation Network.
• Confirm that important saved data is backed up using a supported method.
• Write down or capture the old online ID so support requests are easier.
• Do not change the ID immediately before a tournament, scheduled multiplayer session, or account transfer.

A game missing from the tested list is not automatically broken; it may simply be untested. Likewise, a game on the list may have game-specific notes. Read the entry rather than assuming one rule applies to every title.

What to do after changing your PSN name

Sign back in, then check the parts of the account that matter most:

1. Open your profile and confirm the new online ID appears correctly.
2. Check your friends list and recent parties.
3. Launch the PS4 games you play most and verify progress, add-ons, currency, and online features.
4. Check trophies and saved data.
5. Review linked services that display your PlayStation activity.
6. Tell regular teammates about the change if you did not enable the 30-day old-name display.

A linked Discord profile can display your PlayStation online ID and gaming status. If that connection does not refresh correctly, use our Discord on PS5 setup and troubleshooting guide to review the account link and visibility settings.

How to change back to your old PSN name

If the new ID causes technical problems, Sony says you can revert to a previous online ID without charge. Reverting should resolve most issues, but PlayStation cautions that it may not restore every piece of lost content, progress, or functionality.

PlayStation’s current support instructions direct users to its Online Assistant for help reverting. Do this as soon as practical if problems appear; Sony notes that continuing to use the new ID can affect content and progress associated with it.

Use the official online ID troubleshooting page to begin the recovery process. Do not pay a third party or give anyone your sign-in credentials to “restore” an old name.

Can a child account change its PSN name?

No. Sony says online IDs cannot be changed for child accounts. A family manager cannot override that restriction simply by approving a purchase.

When an eligible child member upgrades to an adult account, the account gains additional management options. Until then, the child account keeps its existing online ID.

Final checklist before confirming

• The spelling and capitalization are exactly what you want.
• The correct PlayStation account is signed in.
• You reviewed the displayed price.
• You checked important older PS4 games for known issues.
• You chose whether to show the old ID for 30 days.
• You are prepared to sign back in on every device.

For most PS5 players, changing a PSN name is straightforward: the first change is free, the new ID applies to the existing account, and the old name can be displayed temporarily. The important part is checking older PS4 games and keeping the official reversion option in mind before pressing Confirm.