Several months ago, Microsoft announced changes to its online system that was fairly well-received, with one caveat. New players could pick whatever name they wanted, but there were new Xbox Gamertag character limits in place. If they took a name that someone else already had, the system generated a number at the end, limiting the available characters from 15 to 12. These Xbox Gamertag limits have prevented some players from changing their old names to something they want, but one user may have found a workaround.
Whenever an online service changes something fundamental like this, it’s likely because of new hardware nearing release. With the Xbox Gamertag limits, it’s due to the Xbox Series X and the influx of new players expected with a new generation. These Gamertags will work across Xbox devices, and the Xbox One received a patch for the new system.
ALSO: Microsoft’s understated Xbox Series X reveal says a lot about its future
However, Microsoft has seemingly not issued the same patch for the Xbox 360, the oldest device to use the current rendition of Xbox Live. If you sign up for a new account via that console, you can still input a name with 15 characters. Every system that used to be there is still in place alongside the old dashboard you still remember. So, logging in on the console you probably have stashed away could give you a more unique name on Xbox Series X.
This limit only applies to new players or those who want to change to a new name with more than 12 letters, but it’s still nice to know that the workaround exists. Microsoft may break out the old scrolls to patch the 360, but it could be an issue that isn’t pressing. Not every new name has a number attached, and you can’t change to an existing 15 letter name with this cheat. It’s just a nice bonus for keeping your legacy hardware around and running.
