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Re: Sims 4 on mobile

@Loser574015  This is not merely a question of whether a given device is powerful enough to run Sims 4.  Each of the devices you listed runs a different operating system from the other two, none of which runs programs compiled for macOS or Windows.  So EA would have to port the game to each OS, or write a new native version, either of which would require a lot of extra time and resources.

Since most people that have a powerful-enough phone or tablet also have access to a computer that could run Sims 4 on its own, it doesn't seem like it would be worth all that extra effort.

4 Replies

  • ocffzpc7zf9b's avatar
    ocffzpc7zf9b
    4 years ago

    I actually disagree with you on that. iPads and iPhones run the same is (I mean they are called different things but the my are the same thing) so they would have to make it for iOS and android and that’s it. (I mean I understand that is a very difficult process, but still). Also plenty of people have the new iPhones (iPhone 11 and above) and new androids, without having higher power computers. I think it would actually be very profitable for ea to make sims 4 (or at least highly update sims mobile to make it like sims 4) because even the people who have it on pc would get it for mobile. Being able to play games on the go is becoming one of the most important things in gaming (Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, Xbox Game Pass/Xcloud, Stadia, and the increase in focus on power in mobile chips)

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    4 years ago

    @ocffzpc7zf9b  While they're quite similar, iOS and iPadOS are not exactly the same, and they're diverging, meaning an app designed for both might require two sets of updates each cycle.  And while it's certainly true that not everyone has a phone and a computer, I do believe that most people who have a newer phone or tablet powerful enough to run Sims 4 also has access to a computer.  I'm not saying that covers everyone, only that it's enough of the potential market that creating several new versions of Sims 4 for mobile platforms would likely not be anywhere near cost-effective.

    And remember that it's not only about the initial cost of a port but also the ongoing costs of adding new game content and maintaining compatibility with each OS as they change.  The switch to the Metal version of Sims 4 for Macs was a significant undertaking, and EA has yet to release a version of Sims 4 written natively for ARM Macs, which are already quite common.  The game does run well in Apple's emulator, so it's not a critical issue yet, but Rosetta 2 will only be around for as long as Apple cares to include it.

    Steam Deck runs a custom Linux-based OS and when released may well be fully compatible with Steam Play, a platform that allows players to run Windows-only in Linux distros.  Everything Nintendo is proprietary in both directions, so it's irrelevant.  Streaming services work fine on phones so long as the gameplay is handled by a computer, whether one belonging to the user or one managed by the cloud gaming service, and Sims 4 would work on either, with no updates needed, as long as EA and the service allowed it.

    For everyone else, Sims Mobile is available for people who want to play a Sims game on a mobile device.  I doubt it will ever look any more like Sims 4 than it does right now, but that's fine, it's its own game and doesn't need to be anything else.

  • xochiquetzl_xkvn's avatar
    xochiquetzl_xkvn
    Seasoned Ace
    4 years ago

    Not only would they have to port the game to a new OS, but they already have mobile games (Sims Freeplay and Sims Mobile), so they'd be unlikely to compete with themselves more than they already do, IMHO.

    I also feel like mobile games are a different market from PC games. I do play the Sims Mobile, but only when I'm in a waiting room or whatever and I'm likely to be interrupted at any time. I'm a lot less likely to be interrupted when playing a PC game. 

  • darkaudit's avatar
    darkaudit
    Seasoned Veteran
    4 years ago
    @puzzlezaddict Not to mention whatever team they assign to "Mobile Sims 4" may have been the team that was supposed to be assigned to fixing that existing bug you most hate. Or at least they *were*.