PlayStation

How to Change Gamertag on PS5

First, a quick note on the name

PlayStation doesn't actually use the word "gamertag" — that's an Xbox term. On a PS5, your public name is your Online ID. But everyone calls it a gamertag anyway, so if that's what you searched, you're in the right place. The steps below change the name other players see on your profile, in parties, and on every scoreboard.

The good news: it's free the first time, and it takes under two minutes. The slightly less good news is a warning about older games, which we'll get to before you commit.

Step-by-step on the console

From the PS5 home screen:

• Open Settings (the gear icon, top right).
• Select Users and Accounts.
• Go to Account → Profile.
• Choose Online ID.
• Type your new name and the system checks if it's available.
• Review the preview, then confirm.

If it's your first change, it goes through free. If not, you'll see the price before anything is charged, so you won't get billed by accident. Once confirmed, the new ID updates across PSN almost immediately.

Doing it from a browser instead

You don't have to be at the console. Sign in at the PlayStation website with your account, open your profile settings, and you'll find the Online ID option there. It's handy if your PS5 is off or someone else is using the TV. The change applies to the same account either way, since your Online ID lives on PSN, not on the console hardware.

This is the same logic that applies on other systems — your identity is account-based. If you also play on Sony's older hardware, the steps differ slightly, which we cover in our guide on changing your PS4 gamertag.

What it costs and how often you can do it

Your first Online ID change is completely free. After that, each change costs around $9.99, dropping to roughly $4.99 if you're a PlayStation Plus member. There's no hard limit on how many times you can change it — you just pay each time after the freebie.

That pricing mirrors what Xbox does, and it's worth understanding the wider picture if you bounce between consoles. We compare the whole thing in our piece on what it costs to change an Xbox gamertag, since the logic — first one free, pay after — is nearly identical across platforms.

The warning: older games and your old ID

Here's the one thing Sony actually flags. When you change your Online ID, PlayStation gives you the option to display your old ID alongside the new one for a while. That's not just cosmetic — a small number of older PS4 games weren't built to handle ID changes, and changing yours can occasionally cause issues with saves, trophies, or in-game content in those titles.

For modern PS5 games it's a non-issue. But if you have an old favorite you still load up, it's worth a quick search to confirm it plays nicely with ID changes before you pull the trigger. PlayStation lets you revert to your previous ID once for free if something breaks, which is a useful safety net.

Pick the new name before you spend the change

Since you only get one free change, it pays to choose well. Aim for something short, readable, and not padded with numbers — an Online ID can be 3 to 16 characters, which is plenty of room for a clean handle.

If you're not sure what to switch to, our PSN name generator is built for exactly this, and the main Gamertag Generator will throw hundreds of cross-platform ideas at you. Want something with a bit more edge or humor? Try the cool gamertag generator for a sharp look. And if you're still torn, our guide on what your gamertag should be can help you commit.

Will your friends still recognize you?

A small but real worry: change your name and suddenly your friends list is full of a stranger. PlayStation thought about this. After a change, you get the option to display your old Online ID alongside the new one for a stretch, so the people who knew you can connect the dots. It's a soft landing that takes the awkwardness out of a rebrand.

Your account keeps everything else intact too — trophies, saves, friends, purchases. Only the visible name shifts. If you're also weighing a change on older Sony hardware, the steps differ slightly, and our guide on how changes work on Xbox is a useful comparison since the first-free, pay-after model is nearly identical across both ecosystems.

Getting the new Online ID right

Because your first change is free and the rest aren't, the smart play is to make this one stick. An Online ID runs 3 to 16 characters, which is plenty of room for something clean without resorting to number padding to dodge a taken name.

Worth keeping in mind as you choose:

• PSN strips fancy symbols, so readable wins by default.
• Shorter names sit better in party lists and trophy cards.
• Pick something you'll still like a year and a console later.

If you'd rather not overthink it, the funny gamertag generator throws out personality-first ideas, and squads that want a unified look can grab a matching tag from the clan name generator. Generate a handful, sleep on your top pick, and update it once.

The safety nets Sony built in

PlayStation clearly learned from how nervous people are about renaming, because the PS5 process is wrapped in reassurances. The big one is the revert option: if a change causes problems with an older game, you can roll back to your previous Online ID once at no cost. That single feature takes most of the risk out of the decision, since the worst-case outcome has a free undo button.

The other thoughtful touch is the old-ID display window. For a stretch after your change, the system can show your previous name in parentheses next to the new one, so the friends and communities who knew you aren't left guessing who the stranger on their list is. It's a small thing that smooths over the most annoying part of any rebrand — the brief period where nobody recognizes you. You can switch that display off whenever you feel the new name has stuck.

Put together, these features make a PS5 name change far less of a leap than it used to be. You get a free first change, a discount for subscribers after that, a revert option if something breaks, and a grace period where your old identity rides along. The only real homework left to you is choosing a name you actually want, because the platform has handled almost everything else. Generate a few candidates, check your legacy games if you still play them, and pull the trigger knowing there's a safety net underneath you the whole time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick recap

Changing your gamertag on PS5 is quick, free the first time, and entirely reversible if an old game complains. The only real homework is checking your favorite legacy titles and choosing a new Online ID you'll actually keep. Generate a few options, sleep on your top pick, and update it in a couple of taps.