PS4 Will Let You Use Your Real Name Online At Launch

Sony will let users of their new console use their real names on the PlayStation 4's online service when the system launches on November 15, the company has confirmed to Kotaku. This is an option, not a mandate. It's also a point of distinction between PS4 and Xbox One.

[Goro]

It better be optional because i don't like the idea of having strangers knowing my real name.

[Lalanana]

Why not? It'll be fun knowing peoples' names.

My real name is Talia :-p

@sevilha82 lol :-p

[sevilha82]

Hello Talia nice to meet you i´m André how´s your Father Ra´s Al Ghul.

Joking.

[_QQ_]

i wonder what my real name is.

[shoddy]

I hate to share my personal info with stranger.

I hate nsa

[pedrof93]

Of course this is optional.

By the way my real name Chuck Arnold Steven Schwarz-Rambo Norris Staham Van Dame.

[black0o]

@sevilha good one ;)

[Mikelarry]

i cant remember where i read it but only your friends or people you allow can see your real name. ill try finding the source and post

[SteveQuinn]

It is, read the article.

[KUV1977]

Yes, you can choose who sees your real name and - get this - you can enter whatever name you want. Basically free id-change. :)

[KillrateOmega]

You have been killed by 'Shuhei Yoshida'.

[FamilyGuy]

I could swear it was facebook related. Basically your facebook name would show up on the PS4 if you allowed your real name to be shown to certain people. I never heard that it was just a pure name choice. In other words you'd have to have a facebook account or you could created a fake name on facebook and use it as your "real name". Kinda makes more sense that it wouldn't be reliant on facebook though, I just seem to have picked up that impression.

[KUV1977]

I think there was even a video where one could see the menu for it. I am sure it is unrelated to facebook. SONY wants to buil it's own social network (certainly connected to facebook). They won't build their system relying on facebook. Only few weeks till we'll know for sure.

[sigfredod]

Yes of course is optional

[MizTv]

I really love my psn name
And people hate it
I get so much hate mail
But it's funny as hell

[KillrateOmega]

What is it?

[_QQ_]

@ killerate omega

Probably XxVegeta

[mushroomwig]

It is, you can switch between your usual PSN ID or your real name or even have both.

[MazzingerZ]

The article already states that:"This is an option, not a mandate"

Too much hurry to post first I guess:)

[amnalehu]

"Sony will let users of their new console use their real names on the PlayStation 4's online service when the system launches on November 15, the company has confirmed to Kotaku. This is an option, not a mandate."....

[CocoWolfie]

yeah im pretty 100% sure either though backlash or protection that they wont allow that. dont worry :p also i dont see why that person got so many dislikes for saying her name, hi im damian ._.

[Sci0n]

She trolled herself out of relevancy so no matter what she says even if its nice or thoughtful ppl will disagree with her lol.

[MASTER_RAIDEN]

not sure if youre saying "it better be" because youre actually unsure, or youre just making an idol threat.
anyway the second sentence of the page confirms that this is optional. my guess is that outsiders can only look someone up by psn id, but when they actually have them as a friend, the real name will show up under that profile.
either way this news is a huge relief. I am a very different person six years after i created my ps3 username. i think its about time i get to make a switch.

LOLLLL @ the xbox nametag in the article. XXkillasupreme420 xbox $W∆∆∆G

[kparks]

Lol @ the article xbox name... Xxkillasupreme420 lol

[Anon1974]

I think it should be mandatory. If you're not comfortable saying something under your real name you probably shouldn't be saying it. Same thing with actions. If you want to behave in such a way that you feel your name should be hidden, perhaps it's time to rethink your actions.

They could still have a nickname for fun but it's anonymity that's at the heart of the toxic culture of online communities.

By the way, I'm Kyle Kulyk. 39 yr old indie developer, married, Canadian, two kids. Nice to meet everyone. :)

[StoutBEER]

That's fine that they are letting people use their real name if they so choose, but my response is the same as the X1 real name usage. Who in their right mind wants to use their real name?!

Thats like the people that take pictures of their weed and put it on facebook. You do know police look at facebook for that shit right?!?!

[djplonker]

I am sure sony is trolling m$ now lol

http://kotaku.com/xbox-one-...

[jgrigs09]

How? No one honestly doesn't care about that. Plus that's a launch, Microsoft will eventually let you use your real name.

[djplonker]

You didn't read the comments did you?

to be honest I didn't either but I skimmed through them just for you found 3 people that do care on one of the many sites that reported it so yeah speak for yourself!

[saikorican]

It seems you missed the point. MS said that people couldn't use real names at launch and then Sony comes out a little bit later saying that the option will be available at launch. Sony is just doing a little 1-uppy thing, nothing wrong with showing what you got.

[CaptainPunch]

You can just use a fake alias.

[OhReginald]

What if....your PSN id is your real name.....? nameception....

[M-M]

Mine is lol.

[OhReginald]

mine is as well....im curious to see if sony will let us change our PSN ids....

[strigoi814]

i really dont understand why M$ wont let you do it..maybe they gonna be running smart A.I. on launch to cover and say "oh we have lots of xboxone fans playing this games on XBL"

[Dante81]

Finally, we can warn the parents that little Timmy has been acting naughty in COD again.

[nevin1]

Even though part of my PSN ID is my 1st name, I still won't use display my full real name.

[djplonker]

I wonder if I can reserve drew peacock?

[KillrateOmega]

I call dibs on 'Kaz Hirai'.

[PositiveEmotions]

Im fine with this because I always use my middle name so it wont bother me.

Also you can always change your name under the "manage account" settings

[Dogswithguns]

Well, that's not fun.. real names aren't cool.

[jgrigs09]

I'm sure your real name tied to your account, will be used and you won't be able to create a fake name.

[EBTpickle]

I like to remain anonymous, for several unsavory reasons. Glad it's optional.

[Javinator]

Of they are pushing that. Since you CAN NOT change your username, they have to resort to this option. Archaic OS.

[isarai]

you have two names, your PSN name and your real name, the PSN name is your typical ID while your real name is for close friends and family. also don't see how having it completely optional is "pushing"

[SeraphimBlade]

You can get your throat slit by a stranger you pissed off online ON DAY ONE.

... gonna pass on this feature...

[jackanderson1985]

why would anyone do this? giving your real name on the internet is ridiculous but to a gaming network with over 80 million users is ridiculous especially considering some of them are mental and take gaming extremely serious ha

[KrisButtar]

I am going to use my real name. I have no problem with it.

[Tctczach]

Ok Jack Anderson who was born in 1985

[FunAndGun]

lol!

[jackanderson1985]

yeah not my name at all ha or birth year it's one of my many personas used online...

[iceman06]

It's optional...and you choose who to share your real name with. Not that big of a deal really. I'd share with my friends and my nephew and be done with it.

[Tctczach]

Haha. I would hope not.

[MisfitsInc]

that's cool, but as far as the rest of the world knows, my name is Ace and i'd like to keep it that way.

[e-p-ayeaH]

PSN on PS4 will be like youtube plentifull of fictional characters lol.

[Viking_Socrates]

Obviously going to be using my actual name

Dimitry Medvedev.