If you share your PS5 with a friend or family member who also plays Honkai Star Rail, or you have a separate alt account for rolling on limited banners, you’ve probably fumbled through the console’s menus at least once trying to switch profiles. A lot of players get stuck trying to figure out how to change account on Honkai Star Rail PS5, because the console’s account linking system works very differently from the mobile and PC versions of the game. I ran into this exact issue last year when my little brother wanted to use my PS5 to play his own HSR account, and I spent almost 20 minutes scrolling through settings trying to find the right option. This guide breaks down everything you need to know to switch accounts smoothly, no guesswork required.
How to Change Account on Honkai Star Rail PS5: Step-by-Step Walkthrough
There are two simple methods to switch HSR accounts on PS5, depending on whether you have multiple PSN profiles set up on your console or not. The first method is the most recommended for regular account switching, as it avoids any cooldowns or extra verification steps. You can only link one HoYoverse account per PSN profile, so if you have separate PSN accounts for each person playing HSR on your console, this first method works perfectly.
To switch accounts using separate PSN profiles: First, make sure you close Honkai Star Rail completely, don’t just leave it suspended in the background. To do this, press the PS button to open the control center, hover over the HSR icon, press the options button, and select “Close Game”. Next, select your profile icon in the top right corner of the control center, then choose the PSN profile linked to the HSR account you want to access. Launch Honkai Star Rail from the home screen, and the game will automatically log into the HoYoverse account linked to that PSN profile. That’s it, no extra login steps required.
If you're trying to figure out how to change account on Honkai Star Rail PS5 without making multiple PSN profiles, this second method works well for infrequent switches. Launch Honkai Star Rail on your main PSN profile, open the in-game settings menu, go to the “Other” tab, and select “User Center”. Select “Link Account”, then follow the prompts to unlink your current HoYoverse account from your PSN profile. You’ll need to verify your identity via the email or phone number linked to your HoYoverse account to complete this step. Unlinking your HoYoverse account from PSN will not delete your save data, all your progress is stored on HoYoverse’s servers, so you can pick up right where you left off when you log back in. Once the unlink is complete, restart the game, and you’ll be prompted to log into a different HoYoverse account, or link a new one to your PSN profile.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Switching HSR Accounts on PS5
Even with clear steps, it’s easy to run into avoidable issues if you rush through the process. I’ve made almost all of these mistakes myself when I was first testing account switching, so these are the key things to watch out for if you want to skip unnecessary headaches:
- Suspending the game instead of closing it fully before switching accounts, which can cause login glitches or save sync errors when you launch the game on the other profile
- Unlinking your HoYoverse account without verifying your contact info first, which can lock you out of your profile temporarily if you can’t confirm ownership
- Sharing PSN login details with other people to access their HSR accounts, which violates both Sony and HoYoverse terms of service and can lead to permanent account bans
Another common mistake people make is unlinking accounts frequently just to switch between their main and alt. You can only unlink your HoYoverse account from PSN once every 6 months, so if you plan to switch accounts regularly, it’s much easier to make separate PSN profiles for each HSR account instead of unlinking and relinking every time. This is especially important if you’re new to learning how to change account on Honkai Star Rail PS5, as it’s easy to mix up login details when you’re first getting used to the process.
How to Keep Your Save Data Safe When Switching Accounts
The good news is that Honkai Star Rail stores all your save data, including characters, pulls, and in-game purchases, on HoYoverse’s cloud servers, not locally on your PS5. That means you won’t lose any progress even if you switch accounts, uninstall the game entirely, or play on a different console, as long as you log into the correct HoYoverse account. But there are a few extra steps you can take to make sure nothing goes wrong during the switch.
First, always enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on both your PSN and HoYoverse accounts to prevent unauthorized access when switching. This also makes it much easier to recover your account if you run into login issues or forget your password. Second, if you’re switching to a new account for the first time, take a quick screenshot of your main account’s user ID and adventure rank before logging out. This gives you concrete proof of ownership if you ever need to contact support about login issues.
If you get a “save data conflict” prompt when you launch the game after switching, always select the “upload to server” option if you’ve been playing offline recently, otherwise you might lose the last few minutes of progress. It’s a small step that saves a lot of frustration later. You should also make sure your PS5 is connected to a stable internet connection before switching accounts, as a dropped connection during the login process can cause temporary sync errors.
Fixes for Common Account Switching Errors on PS5
Even if you follow all the steps perfectly, you might run into the occasional error when switching accounts. Most of these issues are common for players learning how to change account on Honkai Star Rail PS5, so you don’t have to panic if you see one of these errors pop up. These are the most common issues players face, and how to fix them quickly.
First, the “account link failed” error that pops up when you try to link a new HoYoverse account to your PSN. This is almost always caused by an unstable internet connection, so first try restarting your router and your PS5, then attempt the link again. If that doesn’t work, make sure you’re not trying to link a HoYoverse account that’s already associated with another PSN profile, as that will always fail. Second, the “login expired” error that shows up when you launch the game after switching profiles. This is just a temporary cookie issue, all you have to do is re-enter your HoYoverse login details once, and you won’t see the error again for several months.
Third, the “you do not have permission to access this game” error. This usually happens if you’re using a PSN profile from a different region than the one you bought the game on, so make sure you’re using the same regional PSN profile you used to purchase HSR. If you run into an error that won’t go away after 24 hours, you can contact HoYoverse support with your user ID and proof of account ownership, they usually resolve these issues within a couple of business days.
Switching between HSR accounts doesn’t have to be a confusing, time-consuming process. Once you get the hang of how to change account on Honkai Star Rail PS5, you can jump between your main and alt account, or share the game with family members, without any stress. I switch between my main account and my alt that I use for testing new character builds every couple of weeks, and I haven’t run into any major issues since I started following the steps I outlined above. Just remember to take the extra 10 seconds to close the game fully before switching, and avoid unlinking accounts frequently to skip the 6 month cooldown. If you have any other tricks for switching HSR accounts on PS5, feel free to share them in the comments below.
