How to Play The Sims 4

You are a fan of simulation video games and you intend to approach The Sims 4 , the chapter of the historical life simulation Electronic Arts originally released in 2014. However, you do not know exactly where to start and, therefore, you have done some research online to get some “tips about it”. That’s the way it is, right? Well then I’d say you’ve come to just the right place!

In today’s guide, in fact, I will explain how to play The Sims 4 by  providing you with all the information you need: from the requirements of the game (in the case of the PC version) to the analysis of the main features of the title. There will also be a way to talk about the controls and digital stores that sell the Electronic Arts title, so that you can buy The Sims 4 on both computer and console.

Courage: why are you still standing there in front of the screen? Do you want to start having fun in the world of Sims? In my opinion, yes, since you have made yourself comfortable and are reading this tutorial carefully. Come on then, all you have to do is take a few minutes off and follow the quick instructions below. I can assure you that the guide can be completed in a short time. That said, there is nothing left for me to do, except wish you good reading and have fun!

Index

• How to play The Sims 4 on PC
  • Minimum requirements
  • Buy the game
  • Commands
  • First steps
  • Other features
• How to play The Sims 4 on Mac
  • Minimum requirements
  • Buy the game
  • Commands and first steps
• How to play The Sims 4 on PS4
  • Buy the game
  • First steps and commands

How to play The Sims 4 on PC

The Sims 4 is a game originally designed with its reference platform in mind, namely the PC . Below you will find all the indications to use it on the latter, and more specifically on Windows systems .

Minimum requirements

Before going into the details of the procedure on how to play The Sims 4  on PC, it is good to go and see what are the minimum requirements to be met in order for the computer to be able to run the EA title properly. Below you will find all the information about it.

• Operating system: Windows 7 (SP1), Windows 8, Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 64-bit;
• Processor: 1.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, AMD Athlon 64 Dual-Core 4000+ or ​​equivalent (on PCs with integrated graphics chipsets, the game requires 2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-62 a 2 GHz or equivalent);
• RAM: 4GB;
• Free disk space: at least 15 GB. You also need at least 1 GB additional for custom material and saves;
• Video card: 128 MB of memory with support for Pixel Shader 3.0. NVIDIA GeForce 6600 or better, ATI Radeon X1300 or better, Intel GMA X4500 or better;
• DirectX version: compatible with DirectX 9.0, 10 and 11;
• Internet connection: An Internet connection is required for game activation.

Buy the game

When it comes to buying the game, there are clearly various possibilities. The first procedure that I am going to consider is the one related to how to play The Sims 4 without CD . In short: I’ll explain how to download the Electronic Arts title in its digital version .

To do this, the first thing you need to do is download and configure Origin : the client that allows you to access the Electronic Arts digital store of the same name, through which you can then download the game. Connect, therefore, to the official site of Origin and press the Download item under the Windows icon . After that, launch the obtained OriginThinSetup.exe file and select the Install Origin option  . Next, check the I have read and accept the Origin End User License Agreement box and click Continue and then Yes .

Perfect, now all you have to do is log in with your EA account , pressing on Log in and entering the associated e-mail address and password . If you are bothered by having to log in every time, I also recommend that you check the Keep me logged in box .

If you don’t have an EA profile, just click on CREATE AN ACCOUNT and follow the instructions on the screen to create one. Generally, the information required is Country / Region , date of birth , email address , password , public ID , First Name (optional), Last Name (optional) and security question . For more details, you can check out my guide on how to create an EA account .

Once Origin is open , simply move to the Shop tab on the left, hover your mouse over Browse Games and press first on The Sims and then on The Sims 4 . Once this is done, you can download the title by clicking on Get the game . Here you will be made various proposals, which are usually the subscription to the Origin Access subscription or the single purchase .

In both cases, you will be required to set up a valid payment method , choosing between credit card , PayPal , Paysafecard , EA wallet and Sofort . All you have to do is enter the required information , configure the payment method and that’s it.

Once you have purchased the game, you can find it by clicking on My Game Library , on the left. At this point, select the The Sims 4 icon, click on Download , check the I accept the license agreements box and click  Next . This will start the download and installation of the game. Afterwards, just press on Start , to start playing the Electronic Arts title on your computer.

If you are wondering how to play The Sims 4 without downloading it , you might consider buying the physical version of the game. In fact, the installation DVD of the Electronic Arts title can be found through major retailers, both online and physical.

 

The Sims 4 – PC – Italian language

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How do you say? Would you like to learn how to play The Sims 4 without Origin ? Well, in that case I’m sorry: even if you buy the DVD you will still have to configure the client in the way I explained to you earlier. However, you will be able to choose to install the game from the DVD without having to download, so Origin shouldn’t really cause you too much trouble, even though you need to use it. For more details, I invite you to take a look at EA’s official guidelines .

Commands

Once you’re in the game, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with the controls to start playing The Sims 4 properly.

The keys that you will probably use most often, as happens in most PC games, are the classic W , A , S , D . In fact, the latter are used to move the game view . To interact with the game world you have to use the mouse : just click on a person or object you want to interact with and select the relative action.

The mouse click is also used to “tell” your character to move to a certain point on the game map or to select one of the virtual buttons on the screen. The mouse wheel is instead used to zoom the view . In short, the basic commands to get started, or those you will need right away, are really simple.

One of the most common “problems” among novice players of The Sims 4 is, however, the transition of the view from one floor to another . In some cases, in fact, your Sim may move to the second floor of the house, but the view may remain “fixed” on the ground floor. Well, you just need to know that, to move from one floor to another, you have to use the Page Up and Page Down buttons .

Another “doubt” that usually arises to newbies is that relating to the management of the size of the various objects in the Build mode , accessible via the hammer and wrench icon . Well, you should know that in this case the combinations of buttons Left Shift (shift) + ^ to zoom and Left Shift (shift) + should be used? to zoom out. For more information, I recommend you take a look at my tutorial on how to zoom in on objects in The Sims .

For the rest, the “secondary” commands involve using the C button to take a screenshot and the V key for recording . In any case, I advise you to consult the section dedicated to the controls present directly in the game settings , in order to always keep track of possible changes to the keys deriving from the latest updates and to obtain all the relevant information even with regard to minor features.

First steps

Speaking of the first things to do after starting a new game, I can only start with building a house . My advice is to choose a free land , such as  Streamlet Single , in order to have the space to build a house made as it should.

I remind you that to access the Build mode you simply need to select the empty plot of land and press on the hammer and wrench icon at the bottom right. In this way, the editor will appear on the screen .

Building a house in The Sims 4 can take a long time. Also, we are talking about tastes and therefore it is difficult to give you advice. However, if you want to go into more detail and be guided step by step in this operation, I invite you to consult my guide on how to build a house on The Sims . Next, I invite you to get a little familiar with the house, keeping the Sim inside it for a while and interacting with the various objects . This way, you will be able to understand how to behave when the characters are at home.

After that, it’s time to find a job for your Sim. Then press on the briefcase icon at the bottom and press the Start a career button . By doing so, the character will pick up a smartphone, which will allow you to choose the job . There are myriads of possibilities, but for all the details of the case and a step by step guide I recommend you check out my post on how to make money on The Sims .

Other features

Of course, The Sims 4 is chock full of things to do. Providing you with a step-by-step guide on all the possibilities offered by the Electronic Arts game is therefore unthinkable: you will have to discover them by yourself during the game and I assure you that it will be a lot of fun to do so. However, I would also like to give you other indications that may be useful during your adventure.

For example, you’ll probably want to have your Sim have a baby at some point . Well, in that case it might be useful to follow my tutorial on how to have twins on The Sims . You may also want to expand the possibilities of the EA title by learning how to download custom content on The Sims .

In short, to find out more, I invite you to monitor the page of my site dedicated to The Sims , where you can find many guides that could be for you. For example, the one to the best mods for The Sims might intrigue you.

How to play The Sims 4 on Mac

In 2015, Electronic Arts released a macOS version of The Sims 4. The latter is very similar to the one for Windows PC, but clearly there are some differences. I’ll explain them below.

Minimum requirements

As for the requirements to be met, below you will find the minimum ones.

• Operating system: macOS 10.11 (El Capitan) or later;
• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz or higher;
• RAM: 4GB;
• Free space: at least 15 GB. You also need at least 1 GB additional for custom material and saves;
• Video card: at least 256MB of memory. NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT, ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro or better;
• Internet connection: An Internet connection is required for game activation.

For all the details of the case regarding the requirements required by The Sims 4, I recommend that you consult the official EA website .

Buy the game

After explaining the requirements needed to run the game, I would say that you are ready to go ahead and install the game.

As for the digital version , you can also rely on EA’s Origin store client in this case. So, you must first connect to the official Origin site and press the Download button under the Apple logo , in order to download the Origin client, which will allow you to install the game.

When the download is complete, open the Origin.dmg file obtained and drag the Origin icon to the MacOS Applications folder . Next, start Origin , read and accept the End User License Agreement , enter the password of your user account on macOS and press Install Assistant . Perfect, now all you have to do is click OK and you will access the main client screen.

At this point, the procedure to follow is the same as I described in the chapter on Windows . Put simply, just log in with your EA account , search for The Sims 4 in the store, and purchase it by setting a valid payment method .

Then, to start the download, just go to My Game Library and hit Download . You may also be asked to check the I accept the license agreements box and click Next . Finally, once the title is installed, just press the Start button to start playing.

Commands and first steps

The macOS version of The Sims 4 is almost identical to that for Windows, since we are still talking about two systems that essentially use the same keys .

This means that you simply need to consult the chapter dedicated to The Sims 4 for Windows to be able to take your first steps within the game. In any case, don’t worry: EA’s title guides the player by explaining everything through a comfortable initial tutorial , so you shouldn’t have any particular problems.

How to play The Sims 4 on PS4

How do you say? Do you usually play on consoles and would like to experience The Sims 4 adventure from this type of platform? No problem, I’ll tell you how to do it on PS4 right away !

Buy the game

To purchase the digital version of The Sims 4 on PS4, you need an internet connected console and a PSN account . For all the details regarding these requirements, I recommend that you consult my tutorial on how to access PlayStation Network .

In any case, once the PlayStation 4 is properly configured, to purchase The Sims 4, you must press the X button of the controller on the PS Store icon (shopping bag), which is located on the main screen of the console. After that, you must select the Search item at the top and type ” the sims 4 ” in the proposed search field.

Then select the game icon and press the X button of the pad on the items  Add to cart and  Proceed to checkout . You will be prompted to set up a valid payment method: credit cards and debit cards belonging to the VISA , MasterCard , Paysafecard , American Express , then PayPal , PlayStation Network card and promotional codes are supported . For all the details of the case, I invite you to consult my guide on how to pay on PlayStation Store .

Once you have set up your payment method , confirm that you are using it to add funds to your virtual wallet. The system will start the download of The Sims 4 and the game will be automatically installed on the console (as long as there is enough disk space ). Just press on the game box that will appear on the PS4 main screen to start a new game.

If you are wondering how to play The Sims 4 for free , you should know that in February 2020 the game was included among those downloadable for free through the PlayStation Plus subscription , as explained by Sony itself on its official European blog . In short, EA has given fans the opportunity to enter the world of Sims without having to pay a penny.

If you have an Xbox One console instead , you need to set up an Xbox Live account and a valid payment method . For all the details of the case, I recommend that you consult my guide on how to download games on Xbox One . Do not forget, then, the possibility to buy the physical edition of the game for both PS4 and Xbox One from classic online and offline retailers.

 

The Sims 4 – PlayStation 4 – Italian

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The Sims 4 – Xbox One

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First steps and commands

At the beginning of your game, you will probably find yourself a little confused as to which keys to use, as The Sims 4 is still a title originally intended for PC . Below I will consider the keys for the PS4 version of The Sims 4, but clearly the Xbox One edition uses “mirror” keys.

Well, to move the game view just use the right stick , while to interact with the game you often use the X button . The cursor will instead move through the left stick while to go from one floor of a house using the buttons down arrow and up arrow . To shrink or enlarge objects in Build mode , you must press L2 + R2 + down arrow or up arrow at the same time .

These are the main controls, but clearly you can handle everything via the dedicated screen to the buttons present in the game settings . Additionally, you can find more details on basic controls, for both PS4 and Xbox, on EA’s official website .

In any case, if you have the possibility, my advice is to use the mouse and keyboard on the console as well. In fact, we are talking about a game that is, in my view, more enjoyable through this input method. For all the details of the case, I recommend that you take a look at my guide on how to connect a mouse and keyboard to the PS4 .

As for the first steps to take within the game, I invite you instead to consult the chapter dedicated to the PC version , since clearly the title is essentially the same.