Frequently Asked Questions
Can I run the 64-bit/Metal version of Sims 3?
Your Mac needs to support Metal AND run a version of macOS that supports Metal. For the former, please see this list of Metal-capable Macs. For the latter, while all OSs starting with El Capitan (10.11) do support Metal, the minimum requirements for this game include High Sierra (10.13).
To see your computer's specs, click on the Apple icon in the upper left corner of your screen and select About This Mac. These are the full minimum and recommended requirements:
(copied from this origin.com page)
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
OS: Metal required. macOS® X 10.13 (High Sierra)
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz Processor or better
RAM: At least 4 GB RAM
HARD DRIVE: At least 15 GB of free space with at least 1 GB additional space for custom content and saved games
VIDEO: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680, AMD Radeon RX 560, Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640 or better
INPUT: Keyboard and Mouse
ONLINE REQUIREMENTS: Internet connection required for product activation.
RECOMMENDED REQUIREMENTS:
OS: macOS® X 10.13 or later
PROCESSOR: Intel Core i5 or better
VIDEO CARD: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680, AMD Radeon RX 560, Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640 or better
MEMORY: 8GB RAM
HARD DRIVE: 18 GB of Hard Drive space
How do I make sure I install the 64-bit version?
Please be sure to uninstall the old version first. You can follow this excellent guide to clean uninstalling the 32-bit version.
How do I uninstall the 64-bit version?
Open your Origin game library, right-click (or hold down crtl and click) on the Sims 3 icon, and select Uninstall.
How Do I unstall the 32-bit version?
Please follow this guide; keep in mind that the uninstaller is also 32-bit and therefore won't run in Catalina.
Will my old saves/households/builds/other content work?
Any content you've created in-game should be transferrable to your new install. It's still a good idea to move or rename the Sims 3 folder in Documents > Electronic Arts and let the game spawn a new one. From there, you can move any content you'd like to keep to the new folder from the old one.
Please see this list of user files for an explanation of the contents of your Sims 3 folder.
Will my custom content work?
Yes, both .package- and .Sims3Pack-based custom content work fine. For the latter, if you do get an error, please make sure that the content doesn't rely on an underlying item (EP/SP/Store content) you don't own.
Will my store stuff work?
Yes. You will however need to redownload it from scratch.
Will my mods work?
Mods appear to be working, including core mods (e.g. NRaas ErrorTrap) made to work with patches 1.67 or 1.69. As of this writing, it appears that there are no significant errors and that mods in general are as compatible with the 64-bit version of TS3 as they are with other versions.
As always though, you use mods at your own risk, and make sure that any mods you download are listed as compatible with patches 1.67 and/or 1.69. If you don't know how to install your mods, please read the guide on the website where you found them.
