There's good and bad news for fans of The Sims 4 who are still running potato-level computers. The bad news: Electronic Arts is ending 32-bit support for The Sims 4. The good news, though, is that you'll be able to continue playing everything released for the game so far in the brand-new The Sims 4: Legacy Edition. It's not out just yet, but it will be available in the coming months for players who don't have a modern computer.
The creation of The Sims 4: Legacy Edition largely stems from a change that's taking place at Apple. The company is phasing out support for Open GL on their systems. Consequently, the current version of The Sims 4 would no longer work on Macs.
Electronic Arts has aimed for a compromise that makes pretty much everyone happy. The current version of The Sims 4 will have some upgrades done under the hood to ensure that it works on modern Macs. That would still leave gamers on 32-bit systems in the lurch, so a 32-bit version of the game called The Sims 4: Legacy Edition will also be created. This special edition of the game should be ready to go sometime in June 2019.
A F.A.Q. on the EA Answers website has all the relevant details. Essentially, all the content released between September 2, 2014, and February 26, 2019, will be available to purchase or use with Legacy Edition. Here's the full list:
The Sims 4: Legacy Edition Stuff Packs
- Luxury Party Stuff Pack
- Perfect Patio Stuff Pack
- Cool Kitchen Stuff Pack
- Spooky Stuff Pack
- Movie Hangout Stuff Pack
- Romantic Garden Stuff Pack
- Kids Room Stuff Pack
- Backyard Stuff Pack
- Vintage Glamour Stuff Pack
- Bowling Night Stuff Pack
- Fitness Stuff Pack
- Toddler Stuff Pack
- Laundry Day Stuff Pack
- My First Pet Stuff Pack
The Sims 4: Legacy Edition Game Packs
- Outdoor Retreat Game Pack
- Spa Day Game Pack
- Dine Out Game Pack
- Vampires Game Pack
- Parenthood Game Pack
- Jungle Adventure Game Pack
- StrangerVille Game Pack
The Sims 4: Legacy Edition Expansion Packs
- Get Together Expansion Pack
- Get To Work Expansion Pack
- City Living Expansion Pack
- Cats & Dogs Expansion Pack
- Seasons Expansion Pack
- Get Famous Expansion Pack
Any content released for The Sims 4 after February 2019 will not work in Legacy Edition; it appears that Electronic Arts is unwilling to continue development for two distinct versions of The Sims 4.
We most recently checked out the Welcome to Strangerville Game Pack. Further details on The Sims 4: Legacy Edition (including how to move over your existing save files) will be released in the coming months.
What do you think of The Sims 4: Legacy Edition? Do you think Electronic Arts should develop two versions of the game concurrently or should 64-bit OSes be the minimum standard? Let us know in the comments below!
