You Can Use Your Real Name on the PlayStation 4 at Launch, While Xbox One Owners Wait

If you want to use your real name when playing online instead of a silly gamertag, you’ll be getting your chance with the next generation of consoles. While Microsoft promises the feature eventually, Sony has confirmed that it will be available as an option with the launch of the PlayStation 4 on November 15th.

To be clear, using a real name is not mandatory, and those who still want to play with an anonymous gamertag can do that. Sony is simply giving you a choice, and they’re giving you that choice at launch while Microsoft has no set date for the feature.

If you’re the kind of person who signs up for new sites and services early for the sole purpose of claiming your regular name as a username (raises hand) then this news should thrill you. Using your real name on the PlayStation Network has been forbidden up until now, so when you register you have to use a non-identifying username.

With the PS4 that restriction is lifted and gamers can finally unmask and be themselves online. Thankfully, though, gamers will be able to use a gamertag when they want to. This could be particularly useful if you’ve just started playing Battlefield for the first time and you don’t want everyone to know that the horrible n00b dying every ten seconds is really you.