The PSN name change feature is a hotly anticipated addition to the service and one that has been requested since its inception back in 2006. With Sony confirming that it will roll out PSN name changes soon, it appears that changing your name on PSN has a host of repercussions. Before Sony makes PSN name changes widely available, those in the PlayStation Preview Program have received a disclaimer from Sony that suggests you’ll lose access to your trophies, save data in games, and even content you paid for. All of this makes PSN name changes a bigger risk than they should be.

“You may lose access to content (including paid-for content) that you have acquired for your games, including content like add-ons and virtual currency. You may lose your progress within games, including game saved data, leaderboard data and progress toward trophies. Parts of your games and applications might not function properly, both online and offline. Your previous Online ID(s) may remain visible to you and other players in some places,” reads parts of Sony’s documentation regarding the PSN name change beta.

When you change your online ID, you will have the option to display your previous ID with your new ID, so your friends can recognise 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.

At the moment its impossible to ascertain how much of this will be valid for all PS4, PS3, and PS Vita games, and how much of this is Sony protecting itself from any possible mishaps arising from a PSN name change. A full roll out is slated for early 2019. Much like Microsoft with the Xbox One and Xbox 360, your first PSN name change is free and after that you’ll pay $10 (around Rs. 750). If you are a PS Plus subscriber, you’ll pay $5 (close to Rs. 375) for the privilege.

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