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The Sims 4

From PCGamingWiki, the wiki about fixing PC games
The Sims 4
The Sims 4 cover
Developers
Maxis
Publishers
Electronic Arts
Engines
SmartSim
Release dates
Windows September 2, 2014
macOS (OS X) February 17, 2015
Reception
Metacritic 70
OpenCritic 70
IGDB 67
Taxonomy
Monetization Free-to-play, Sponsored, DLC, Expansion pack, Cross-game bonus, Subscription gaming service
Microtransactions None
Modes Singleplayer
Pacing Real-time
Perspectives Bird's-eye view
Controls Direct control
Genres Life sim, Farming
Art styles Stylized
Themes Contemporary, LGBTQ
Series The Sims
The Sims 4 on HowLongToBeat
The Sims 4 on IGDB
The Sims 4 on MobyGames
The Sims 4 on Wikipedia
The Sims
Subseries of Sim
The Sims 2000
The Sims Online 2002
The Sims 2 2004
The Sims Stories (series)
MySims 2008
The Sims 3 2009
The Sims Medieval 2011
The Sims 4 2014

The Sims 4 is a singleplayer life sim game developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. It is the fourth main installment of The Sims series.

It was released in North America on September 2, 2014, with releases in Europe and UK followed on September 4 and September 5 respectively. The MacOS version was later released worldwide on February 17, 2015. The base game was later made free-to-play on October 18, 2022.[1]

On November 18, 2019, support for 32-bit Windows systems as well as MacOS systems with OpenGL API were deprecated, and affected players were required to download the Legacy Edition from Origin which provide support for those legacy OS. The Legacy Edition was later discontinued on December 12, 2022, with installation of it on unsupported MasOS systems start receiving error whenever players try to launch it since April 18, 2023.[2][3][4]

General information

Official forums
Answer HQ for The Sims 4 at EA.com
Answer HQ for The Sims series at EA.com (OS X)
The Sims 4 Legacy Edition FAQ

Availability

Source DRM Notes Keys OS
Retail
Origin
Expansions were provided on DVDs until the first expansion in the United States and at least the third expansion in Europe.
After that, all retail copies came with download codes.

Only the Windows version was available on the game install DVD, the Mac version required a download code.

Retail copies are no longer produced as of the Snowy Escape expansion.
Icon overlay.png
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Amazon.com
Origin
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Epic Games Store
Epic Games Launcher
Origin
Windows
Microsoft Store
Microsoft Store
Origin
Included alongside the Get to Work expansion exclusively with Xbox Game Pass for PC as part of its version of EA Play.
Windows
Origin
Origin
Digital Deluxe Edition also available, included with EA Play alongside the Get To Work expansion. Currently only visible in the EA App's Browse menu.
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Steam
Icon overlay.png
Origin
Included with EA Play (Steam) alongside the Get To Work expansion.
Windows
Gamesplanet logo.svg (unavailable)
Origin
Digital Deluxe Edition also available.
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Green Man Gaming (unavailable)
Origin
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Humble Store (unavailable)
Origin
Windows
macOS (OS X)
All versions require Origin DRM.
A Sims 4 Create A Sim Demo is available.

Version differences

List of all different versions and regions can be found on Wikipedia.
Legacy Edition has disabled online features and does not support any downloadable content released after September 2019.[5]

Monetization

Type Notes
Cross-game bonus Between 2014 and 2017, registering serial codes for The Sims 3 and its expansion packs (but not its stuff packs) on a since-removed "Rewards" page on EA's websites, would unlock exclusive lamps (Many of them emotion-altering) and a statue.
DLC Kits contain a small selection of themed object/cosmetics.
Stuff Packs contain sizeable additions to content already available in the base game.
Expansion pack Game Packs contain sizeable (but not major) additions not available in the base game.
Expansion Packs contain major gameplay additions not present in the base game.
Free-to-play Free-to-play as of October 18, 2022.[1] Formerly required an upfront purchase to access.
Sponsored Certain updates introduced items from different franchises.[Note 1]
Subscription gaming service Available via EA Play.

DLC and expansion packs

Name Notes
Life of the Party Included in all but the Standard editions.
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Awesome Animal Hats Included in all but the Standard and Limited Editions.
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Up All Night Included in all but the Standard and Limited Editions.
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Digital Soundtrack Included in all but the Standard and Limited Editions.
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Digital Deluxe Upgrade Includes the above free DLC and the soundtrack.
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Rewards Bonus content for the owners of The Sims 3 expansion packs.
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Family Portrait Bonus content. Could be obtained by signing up for The Sims Mobile at launch.
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Holiday Celebration Pack Free Stuff Pack (FP01).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Grim's Ghoulish Guitar Bonus content. Can be obtained by signing up for the newsletter.
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Get to Work Expansion pack 1 (EP01).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Get Together Expansion pack 2 (EP02).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
City Living Expansion pack 3 (EP03).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Cats & Dogs Expansion pack 4 (EP04).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Seasons Expansion pack 5 (EP05).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Get Famous Expansion pack 6 (EP06).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Island Living Expansion pack 7 (EP07). None of the expansion packs below are supported in Legacy Edition.
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Discover University Expansion pack 8 (EP08).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Eco Lifestyle Expansion pack 9 (EP09).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Snowy Escape Expansion pack 10 (EP10).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Cottage Living Expansion pack 11 (EP11).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
High School Years Expansion pack 12 (EP12).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Outdoor Retreat Game pack (GP01).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Spa Day Game pack (GP02).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Dine Out Game pack (GP03).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Vampires Game pack (GP04).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Parenthood Game pack (GP05).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Jungle Adventure Game pack (GP06).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
StrangerVille Game pack (GP07).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Realm of Magic Game pack (GP08). None of the game packs below are supported in Legacy Edition.
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Journey to Batuu Game pack (GP09).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Dream Home Decorator Game pack (GP10).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
My Wedding Stories Game pack (GP11).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Werewolves Game pack (GP12).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Luxury Party Stuff Stuff pack 1 (SP01).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Perfect Patio Stuff Stuff pack 2 (SP02).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Cool Kitchen Stuff Stuff pack 3 (SP03).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Spooky Stuff Stuff pack 4 (SP04).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Movie Hangout Stuff Stuff pack 5 (SP05).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Romantic Garden Stuff Stuff pack 6 (SP06).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Kids Room Stuff Stuff pack 7 (SP07).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Backyard Stuff Stuff pack 8 (SP08).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Vintage Glamour Stuff Stuff pack 9 (SP09).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Bowling Night Stuff Stuff pack 10 (SP10).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Fitness Stuff Stuff pack 11 (SP11).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Toddler Stuff Stuff pack 12 (SP12).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Laundry Day Stuff Stuff pack 13 (SP13.
Windows
macOS (OS X)
My First Pet Stuff Stuff pack 14 (SP14).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Moschino Stuff Stuff pack 15 (SP15). None of the stuff packs below are supported in Legacy Edition.
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Tiny Living Stuff Stuff pack 16 (SP16).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Nifty Knitting Stuff Stuff pack 17 (SP17).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Paranormal Stuff Stuff pack 18 (SP18).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Throwback Fit Kit Kit 1 (SP20). None of the kits are supported in Legacy Edition.
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Country Kitchen Kit Kit 2 (SP21).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Bust the Dust Kit Kit 3 (SP22).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Courtyard Oasis Kit Kit 4 (SP23).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Industrial Loft Kit Kit 5 (SP25).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Fashion Street Kit Kit 6 (SP24).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Incheon Arrivals Kit Kit 7 (SP26).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Blooming Rooms Kit Kit 8 (SP29).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Modern Menswear Kit Kit 9 (SP28).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Carnival Streetwear Kit Kit 10 (SP30).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Decor to the Max Kit Kit 11 (SP31).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Little Campers Kit Kit 12 (SP33).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Moonlight Chic Kit Kit 13 (SP32).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Little Campers Kit Kit 14 (SP33).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
First Fits Kit Kit 15 (SP34).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Desert Luxe Kit Kit 16 (SP35).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Pastel Pop Kit Kit 17 (SP36).
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Everyday Clutter Kit Kit 18 (SP37).
Windows
macOS (OS X)

Microtransactions

Type Notes
No microtransactions No microtransactions are present in the game.

Essential improvements

Skip intro videos

Use the -nointro command line argument[6]

Game data

Configuration file(s) location

System Location
Windows %USERPROFILE%\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4\
Microsoft Store
macOS (OS X) $HOME/Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 4/Options.ini
Steam Play (Linux) <Steam-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/1222670/pfx/[Note 2]

Save game data location

System Location
Windows %USERPROFILE%\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4\saves\
Microsoft Store
macOS (OS X) $HOME/Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 4/saves/
Steam Play (Linux) <Steam-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/1222670/pfx/[Note 2]

Save game cloud syncing

System Native Notes
Epic Games Launcher
Origin
OneDrive
Requires enabling backup of the Documents folder in OneDrive on all computers.
Steam Cloud
Xbox Cloud

Video

Video settings
Video settings
Accessibility settings
Accessibility settings

Graphics feature State WSGF Notes
Widescreen resolution
Multi-monitor
Ultra-widescreen
Hor+ gameplay with spanned HUD.
4K Ultra HD
UI can be scaled under Accessibility settings. See also UI scale.
Field of view (FOV)
Windowed
Borderless fullscreen windowed
Anisotropic filtering (AF)
Lacks specific option.[7] Force in graphics card control panel for best results.
Anti-aliasing (AA)
MSAA, labelled as Edge Smoothing. Off, Low (2x), Medium (4x), High (8x).[8]
Vertical sync (Vsync)
60 FPS and 120+ FPS
200 FPS cap by default. See Frame rate capping to adjust the cap.
High dynamic range display (HDR)
See the glossary page for potential alternatives.

Frame rate capping

Change 200 FPS limit[9]
  1. Go to the configuration file(s) location.
  2. Open Options.ini.
  3. Find the key frameratelimit and set the value to your preferred max fps.
  4. Save your changes.

Depth of field

This mod removes the distance blur (depth of field).
Use 3rd party fix[10]
  1. Download No Blur in Distance.
  2. Copy to \Mods in configuration file(s) location.

UI scale

UI can be scaled under Accessibility settings. This can be modified further than what the game allows.
Further UI scaling[11]
  1. Go to the configuration file(s) location.
  2. Open Options.ini.
  3. Find the key uiscale and set the value to (your dpi - 150).
    • UI becomes smaller with increasing values.
  4. Save your changes.

Input

Keyboard and mouse State Notes
Remapping
See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
Mouse acceleration
Mouse sensitivity
Mouse input in menus
Mouse Y-axis inversion
Both axes can be inverted in the "Game Camera" options.
Controller
Controller support
Console versions only.
Controller types

Audio

Audio settings
Audio settings

Audio feature State Notes
Separate volume controls
Object Music, Music, Voices, Sound Effects and UI Sound sliders.
Surround sound
Quad, 5.1 and 7.1 in-game setting is available.
Subtitles
No intelligible dialog. All in-game dialog uses the fictional Simlish language.
Closed captions
Mute on focus lost
Labelled Audio Focus.
Royalty free audio

Localizations

Language UI Audio Sub Notes
English
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Czech
Danish
Dutch
Finnish
French
German
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Norwegian
Polish
Region locked to Polish, Czech and Russian in Poland. Changing language to any other languages is impossible.[12]
Brazilian Portuguese
Russian
Spanish
Swedish

Issues fixed

Unresponsive and stuck sim

You may want or need to reset your Sims if they become stuck or unresponsive.
Resetting your Sim will return it to a playable state but the Sim will not return to its home lot and its needs will remain the same. This works for all Sims, not just the ones you are controlling, except in cases of “Sim not found.”
Resetting your Sim will cancel your Sim's wishes and moodlets, so make sure to check back with your Sims if you need them to complete specific actions.
ResetSim method[13]
  1. Open the cheat window by pressing Ctrl+ Shift+C.
  2. Type resetSim Firstname Lastname and press Enter. Make sure you enter the name of the Sim you want to reset.
  3. If you need to reset all of the Sims in your current game, you can type resetSim *. This cheat command may not be able to reset all Sims and you may receive a “Sim not found” error.
Testingcheats true method[13]
  1. Open the cheat window by pressing Ctrl+ Shift+C.
  2. Type testingcheats true and press Enter.
  3. Press Shift and then click on the Sim you want to reset.
  4. Select the Reset Object (Debug) option.

RivaTuner OSD does not display

Run the game in Windows 8 compatibility mode[citation needed]

Game does not launch

The game will not launch on 32-bit Windows systems and macOS (OS X) systems without Metal support after the 1.58.63.1010 (PC) / 1.58.63.1210 (Mac) update, released on November 12, 2019.
Install the free Legacy Edition update, available in the Extra Content tab of the Origin client.[5]

Game keeps minimizing on launch

The game will minimize a few seconds after a black screen appears, any subsequent attempts to restore it will lead to the same problem.
The issue appears to happen when the game resolution mismatches the desktop resolution.
Set proper resolution[14]
  1. Go to the configuration file(s) location.
  2. Open the file Options.ini.
  3. Set the options resolutionwidth and resolutionheight to your desktop resolution, e.g. for a 2560x1080 resolution you'd use resolutionwidth = 2560 and resolutionheight = 1080.
  4. Save the file.

Oversensitive/unresponsive camera rotation

The Origin and Discord overlays can interfere with the game, where the mouse becomes oversensitive (especially when rotating the camera) or unresponsive.
Disable Origin and/or Discord overlay for the game[15]

VR support

3D modes State Notes
vorpX
G3D
Officially supported game, see official vorpx game list.

Other information

API

Technical specs Supported Notes
Direct3D 9.0c
OpenGL
Only macOS (OS X) in Legacy Edition.
Metal support
Shader Model support 3.0
Executable 32-bit 64-bit Notes
Windows
32-bit support only in Legacy Edition.
macOS (OS X)
32-bit support only in Legacy Edition.

System requirements

All specifications mentioned are the base game only, no DLCs accounted for.
Windows
Minimum Recommended
Operating system (OS) 10
Legacy Edition: 7 SP1, 8, 8.1
Processor (CPU) Intel Core i3-3220 3.3 GHz
Legacy Edition: Intel Core 2 Duo E4300 1.8 GHz
AMD Ryzen 3 1200 3.1 GHz
Legacy Edition: AMD Athlon 64 X2 4000+ 2.1 GHz
System memory (RAM) 4 GB
Hard disk drive (HDD) 50 GB (Legacy Edition: 22 GB) and 1 GB for saved games
Video card (GPU) Nvidia GeForce 6600
ATI Radeon X1300
Intel GMA X4500
128 MB of VRAM
DirectX 9.0, 10, 11 compatible
Shader model 3.0 support
A 64-bit operating system is required for non-Legacy Edition.
For computers with integrated graphics, a minimum of an Intel Core 2 Duo T5750 2.0 GHz or AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-62 2.1 GHz CPU is required.
macOS (OS X)
Minimum Recommended
Operating system (OS) 10.11 (El Capitan)
Processor (CPU) Intel Core i3-3225 3.3 GHz
Legacy Edition: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz
System memory (RAM) 4 GB
Hard disk drive (HDD) 25 GB (Legacy Edition: 22 GB) and 1 GB for saved games
Video card (GPU) Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT
ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro
Intel HD 4000
256 MB of VRAM
A 64-bit operating system is required for non-Legacy Edition.


Notes

  1. For example, Patch 5 added Star Wars-themed cosmetics and Patch 64 added a Final Fantasy XV-themed outfit.
  2. 2.0 2.1 File/folder structure within this directory reflects the path(s) listed for Windows and/or Steam game data (use Wine regedit to access Windows registry paths). Games with Steam Cloud support may store data in ~/.steam/steam/userdata/<user-id>/1222670/ in addition to or instead of this directory. The app ID (1222670) may differ in some cases. Treat backslashes as forward slashes. See the glossary page for details.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 https://www.ea.com/games/the-sims/the-sims-4/news/play-the-sims-4-for-free-beginning-october-18
  2. Online Services Shutdown - Electronic Arts - last accessed on 2022-11-16
    "December 12, 2022

    The Sims 4 Legacy Edition for PC and Mac
    "
  3. What you need to know about the 64-bit version of The Sims 4 - last accessed on December 12, 2023
  4. The Sims 4 Mac Legacy Edition thread - EA Answers - last accessed on December 12, 2023
  5. 5.0 5.1 The Sims 4 Legacy Edition FAQ
  6. Verified by User:SargeCassidy on 2022-07-17
  7. Verified by User:Fudgesiclesxd on 2022-09-07
    Applies an unknown amount with Texture Quality set to High. EnableAniso existed in GraphicsRules.sgr. Same as The Sims 3, it's either on or off.
  8. Verified by User:SargeCassidy on 2022-07-17
    Checked using Special K's Framebuffer Setup.
  9. Verified by User:Hawaii_Beach on 2017-02-08
  10. Verified by User:Keith on 2023-06-14
  11. Mod The Sims - Increasing or decreasing the UI size is in options.ini file - last accessed on May 2023
  12. Verified by User:SargeCassidy on 2022-07-17
    Origin copy. May also apply to keys, like is the case with Titanfall 2.
  13. 13.0 13.1 The Sims 4 - How to reset stuck and unresponsive Sims in The Sims 4 - last accessed on 2023-06-14
  14. Solved: Sims 4 Minimized - Answer HQ
  15. Reddit - last accessed on May 2023