Comparing the two games highlights several notable changes.
Comparing the two games highlights several notable changes.
Hi, recently Origin released a promotion allowing Sims 4 to be owned and played for free indefinitely (presumably forever). Since I’m an active Sims 3 player, I chose to take advantage of it. I’ve spent 144 hours on Sims 3, and at the time I got 3 over 4 because I worried my old PC wouldn’t handle 4.
I’m very comfortable with Sims 3—so much so that I can play it without even looking at the screen. I’m also skilled at locating custom content and installing it into my game files, as well as knowing various cheat codes and how the characters behave in the original game.
I really appreciate custom content and mods for a more immersive experience. So I wondered—are there any significant differences I should be aware of before switching to Sims 4? I’ve read online about the changes, and it seems like Sims 4 is essentially an upgrade from Sims 3, keeping the same core mechanics but with updated graphics and a new interface.
I usually play Sims 3 on my laptop, managing around 4-5 hours of continuous playtime with full battery and low settings. Will this change in Sims 4? On average, I see a frame rate between 50-70 FPS, depending on the area I’m looking at, and my buildings tend to be simple and not overly detailed.
My laptop specs: i3-8130U 3.4GHz, 12GB RAM, Intel UHD 620 Graphics.
I constructed a PC for my brother's wife a couple of years ago for Sim3, and she moved to Sim4 which still functions perfectly. The biggest slowdown occurred with an expansion named seasons or something similar—it enhanced graphics but added snow effects that strained the graphics card. Sim4 worked fine, but I’m unsure if the same expansion is available there. She stopped playing overtime because Sims became too costly, especially the fourth one.
I don't experience expansion packs since I prefer the complete experience from the start, so I haven't encountered them. Custom content is the best free alternative for me.
She mentioned it often gets cold and sometimes sluggish, but I don't have much more information about Sim4. She went back to Sim3 because she didn't enjoy the 4 as much as she liked the 3.
The key point was recognizing certain features that Sim4 lacked, plus the expense of acquiring all the expansions would exceed $700.