Forum Discussion

Re: [FAQ] The Sims 4 and Chromebooks

@puzzlezaddict Thanks & that sucks. Would it be possible if Chrome OS updated to where their hardware could run the game, or could run a Windows application without people having to download a bunch of stuff?

5 Replies

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    4 years ago

    @QueenNai812  The strength of the hardware in a computer is unaffected by software updates.  So while a software update might make some marginal improvement in efficiency, there's nothing Chrome OS could ever do to make the average Chromebook capable of running Sims 4 when it's currently severely underpowered to do so.

    Chrome OS also can't run programs written for Windows and never will.  That's just how operating systems work.  There are also proprietary considerations: most programs that run in Windows depend on other software Microsoft has written for Windows, and Microsoft is unlikely to allow anyone to adapt that software for a different OS, if it could even be done.

    If you're shopping for a new computer in the future, Windows laptops that can run Sims 4 on medium settings typically start around $450 U.S. and often drop to under $400.

  • KEC-14's avatar
    KEC-14
    4 years ago

    I understand that Chrome OS is too weak to load The Sims 4 but what if you have Linux installed on the computer?

  • @KEC-14  I know of a couple ways to run Windows apps in Linux, depending on the distro installed, so yes, you could pursue this in theory.  However, make sure the underlying hardware is capable of running Sims 4 properly.  The issue with Chromebooks is not that Chrome OS is too weak or somehow insufficient; it's that Chromebooks tend to have weak processors and graphics chips that aren't suitable for running even a moderately demanding game.

  • xochiquetzl_xkvn's avatar
    xochiquetzl_xkvn
    Seasoned Ace
    4 years ago

    Yeah, I've run the Sims 4 under linux with Wine and Lutris. Not at length, but it launched. (I was considering traveling with my linux laptop.)

    Running the game under an emulater adds a layer of overhead, so you would need to make sure that the hardware was even better than the specs to run the game under Windows to get an optimal experience.