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FieryFiFi's avatar
FieryFiFi
5 years ago
Solved

Sims 3 & Sim City

Hello, just updated to MacOS Big Sur, can I purchase Sims 3 and Sim City to play on my Mac?
mac
technical issues
  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    5 years ago

    @FieryFiFi  There's no good reason SimCity would run in Catalina and not Big Sur.  I wonder if the people posting are playing on M1 Macs, which are different enough that they might not run SimCity well even with Rosetta.  (That's translation software for running applications compiled for Intel Macs on the new ARM Macs.)  Regardless, you could wait a couple of weeks to see if it gets sorted out, or you could contact Aspyr, the developers who ported the game:

    https://www.aspyr.com/games/simcity-complete-edition

    Sims 3 definitely does run in Big Sur.  There's a new 64-bit version that was released at the end of October specifically for this reason, and it's a separate download from the old 32-bit version.  If you look at the system requirements on origin.com, you'll see that there are two sets for macOS, one for each version:

    https://www.origin.com/usa/en-us/store/the-sims/the-sims-3#store-page-section-requirements

    There are certain Macs that don't run Sims 3 as well, and that can't really run the Pets expansion at all.  But the Starter Pack (base game, Late Night, and High-End Loft Stuff) should be okay on any Mac as long as you're willing to adjust the graphics settings a bit.

    As far as the console version of Sims 3 goes, the only options are Sims 3 and Sims 3 Pets, and they're quite different than the version for PC/Mac.  I don't think there are resorts at all in the console version.

    If you're looking to buy Island Paradise for your Mac, there are extra steps to get the world of Isla Paradiso to run properly.  Unedited, it's so broken that it barely runs even on high-end gaming PCs, but it can be fixed with a little effort, or you can download a fixed version ready to play.

    https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/811253/removing-ip-lag

    Just to be totally forthcoming, one major issue with the 64-bit version of Sims 3 is that open water isn't clickable, meaning all open water options are unavailable.  Some can be worked around, for example you can click on a dive spot and instruct a sim to dive.  And we hope this issue will still be fixed.  But it may not be, and that's a significant part of the IP expansion pack that doesn't work at all.

FieryFiFi's avatar
FieryFiFi
5 years ago

Sorry to bother you again Hero, wondering if there was any positive news for the Sims 3 and Sim City for us poor sods who upgraded to Big Sur?.... would love to buy these games for my daughter but too scared to after reading reviews on the App store.  Also, support wise, am I better off buying on the App store or directly through the Aspyr Store? I've included info on my system, not that I understand any of what it means!

puzzlezaddict's avatar
puzzlezaddict
Hero+
5 years ago

@FieryFiFi  To my knowledge, SimCity still doesn't run in Big Sur.  I do know someone who was troubleshooting this issue a while back, but I don't think she ever found a way to make the game work.  Aspyr is aware of the issue and may or may not release an update, but you can certainly post on its forums asking about it.  You're far from the only one hoping to play.

One completely different option is to install an older OS on an external hard drive and boot into that when you want to play.  I'm not sure how old your older Mac is, but if it can install High Sierra, that would be a good option.  Booting into an external is as simple as plugging it in, restarting while holding down the option key, and choosing the drive.  Installing an OS on an external drive is only a bit more complicated; the best instructions are the same as before:

https://bluebellflora.com/running-32-bit-apps-after-macos-mojave/

Sims 3 works fine in Big Sur, at least on hardware like yours, but it still has the same issues it had at release.  We're all hoping there will be a patch at some point, but EA hasn't released any information either way.

By the way, it's a good idea to remove the first screenshot, the one with your specs in it, because it also lists your Mac's serial number.

  • FieryFiFi's avatar
    FieryFiFi
    5 years ago

    Specs removed, cheers! You see, I have no tech clue hehe! Ok thanks so much again, just that last question I had, regarding support, am I best to download Sim City from App store or Aspyr website directly?  From what I can see, I can only download Sims 3 from Origin??

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    5 years ago

    @FieryFiFi  Right, sorry, I forgot to answer that one.  Aspyr is good about supporting its products whether you bought through the App Store or the Aspyr site.  If you want to support Aspyr more fully, skipping the App Store means Aspyr would get a larger cut, but other than that, the outcome should be the same.

    The 64-bit version of Sims 3 is only available through Origin.

  • FieryFiFi's avatar
    FieryFiFi
    5 years ago
    @puzzlezaddict Yes, cheers again!! Keep those provisions handy and whatever you do, don't get the Covid vaccination!!!

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