Real Names Can’t Be Used On Xbox One At Launch

Microsoft has revealed that players won’t be able to use their real names for display on Xbox Live, as promised earlier in the year. According to Kotaku, users will only be able to identify their friends using traditional Gamertags that are utilized today with the Xbox 360.

“While real identities continue to be part of our plans for the experience on Xbox One, at launch, customers will continue to search for friends using their Gamertags,” a spokesperson explained. “Our teams are working hard to deliver a quality experience for Xbox One. This means prioritizing some features and sometimes postponing others for a later update.”

Sony meanwhile also promised the possibility of players using their real names instead of Gamertags back at PS4’s initial reveal in February. But further information regarding this feature has been scarce, suggesting it won’t be available at launch. The use of real names was always presented as another option for players, not a mandatory feature.

Players were also promised that they will be able to use real photos for display instead of game avatars. But information regarding this feature has also been minimal. I’ll guess we’ll just have to find out come launch day.

The Xbox One is set to launch on November 22 in 13 territories, including the U.S and Europe. The PS4 will launch November 15 in North America and November 29 in Europe.