How to Create a PlayStation Network Account

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Updated November 09, 2019

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Making a PlayStation Network (PSN) account lets you shop online to download games, demos, HD movies, shows, and music. After building the account, you can activate TVs, home audio/video devices and PlayStation systems to connect to it.

There are three ways to sign up for a PSN account; making an account in one place will let you log in via any of the others. The first is the easiest, which is to use your computer, but you can also make a new PlayStation Network account from a PS4, PS3 or PSP.

Signing up for PSN on the website or PlayStation lets you create a master account with connected sub-accounts. This is particularly useful if you have children because they can use the sub-accounts with restrictions set by you, like spending limits or parental locks for certain content.

Illustration of a gamer creating a new PS4 User account — Lifewire / Bailey Mariner

Remember that when creating your PSN Online ID, it can never be changed in the future. It's forever linked to the email address you use to build the PSN account.

Create PSN Account on a Computer

Visit the Sony Entertainment Network Create a New Account page.
Enter your personal details like your email address, birth date, and location information, and then choose a password.
Click the I Agree. Create My Account. button.
Verify your email address with the link provided in the email you should have been sent from Sony after completing Step 3.
Go back to the Sony Entertainment Network website and click Continue.
Click the Update Account image on the next page.
Choose the Online ID that will be seen by others when you play online games.
Click Continue.
Finish updating your PlayStation Network account with your name, security questions, location information, optional billing information, etc., pressing Continue after each screen.
Click Finish when you're done filling out your PSN account details.

You should see a message that reads Your account is now ready to access PlayStation Network.

Create PSN Account on a PS4

With the console on and the controller activated (press the PS button), select New User on the screen.
Choose Create a User and then accept the user agreement on the next page.
Click Next under the PlayStation Network area.
Instead of logging in to PSN, choose the button called New to PSN? Create an Account.
Click on the Sign Up Now button.
Follow the on-screen instructions to submit your location information, email address and a password, moving through the screens by selecting the Next buttons.
You'll next be asked to choose an Avatar. You can change this at any time in the future.
On the Create your PSN Profile screen, enter the username you want to be identified as to other gamers. Also, fill out your name but remember that it'll be public.
The next screen gives you the option to automatically fill in your profile picture and name with your Facebook information. You also have the option to not display your full name and picture while playing online games.
The next few screens will let you set your privacy settings. You can pick Anyone, Friends of Friends, Friends Only or No One for each specific activity.
Press Accept on the final page of setup to accept the terms of service and user agreement.
That's it! You should now have a PSN account.

Create PSN Account on a PS3

Open PlayStation Network from the menu.
Select Sign Up.
Choose Create a New Account (New Users).
Select Continue on the screen that has an overview of what's needed for setup.
Enter in your country/region of residence, language, and date of birth, and then press Continue.
Agree to the terms of service and user agreement on the following page, and then press Accept. You have to do this twice.
Fill out your email address and choose a new password for your PSN account, and follow through with the Continue button. You should probably check the box to save your password too so that you don't have to re-enter it each time you want to access PlayStation Network.
Pick an ID that should be used as your public PSN ID. This is what other online users will see when you're playing with them.
Press Continue.
The next page asks for your name and gender. Fill in those fields and then choose Continue once more.
Fill in some more location information so that the PlayStation Network has your street address and other details on file.
Choose Continue.
The PS3 asks if you want to receive news, special offers, and other things from Sony, as well as whether or not you want them to share your personal information with partners. You can enable or disable those checkboxes based on your own personal preferences.
Select Continue.
Scroll through the summary of details on the next page to make sure all of it is accurate, choosing Edit next to anything that needs to be changed.
Use the Confirm button to submit all your information.
You'll get an email from Sony with a verification link that you must click in order to verify that the email address is yours.
After clicking the link, choose OK on the PlayStation.
Select the Proceed to PlayStation Store button to go back to the home screen and login with your new PSN account.

Create PSN Account on a PS Vita or PS Tv

On the Home screen tap or select the Settings icon.
Tap the Start button.
Then tap on PlayStation Network.
Tap the Sign Up button and follow the instructions.