Forum Discussion

Lycostia's avatar
3 years ago

Sims 4 on Steam Deck

Issues

•DLC says I need to buy the base game in order to download DLC 

•Base game is Free on Steam

•I originally bought my DLC on Origin/EA from the years 2016-2022

System

•Steam Deck

•Previous System: Windows 

Hi Hi, I hate to bother everyone but I'm loosing my mind and I would really like to keep what's left of my mind intact. I used to play The Sims 4 on Window's, but recently I bought the Steam Deck because it's a portable computer and I'm constantly commuting so my desktop can't just come with me. Personally the Sims 4 runs better on the Steam deck than my desktop but that could just be me. Now I'm seeing that Sims 4 is on Steam which made my day yesterday but It's been a nightmare trying to figure out what is going on. I linked both my Steam and EA account and that worked like a dream, the next part not so much.. It says I've already purchased the DLC in game but at the bottom it says I need to buy the base game. As far as I'm aware the base game is free on Steam. So is there something I'm doing wrong because I've been in the forums of both Steam and EA trying to understand this and nothing is clicking. Anyways any help would greatly be appreciated and thank you for taking the time out of your day to read this!

6 Replies

  • @Lycostia  Yes, Sims 4 is free on all platforms, but not all platform tie-ins are currently working properly.  I take it Sims 4 is currently installed on your Deck, but which launcher did you use to install it?  Please also post a screenshot of the error, for reference.

  • Lycostia's avatar
    Lycostia
    3 years ago

    Thank you for helping me! 😭🙏

    I'm currently using it on the Steam Library, someone said that EA can be downloaded on to the Steam Deck but I thought EA/Origin is Windows and Mac. I could be wrong. I've taken a screenshot from my Steam Deck to show you what I'm seeing. I hope it makes sense. 

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    3 years ago

    @Lycostia  Are your packs loading in-game?  That message you see along the bottom is standard, or at least it used to be; it doesn't mean that the game or one of the launchers thinks you don't own Sims 4.

    If your packs aren't loading, did you ever install another version of Sims 4?  There's currently an issue where the EA App dumps pack folders into the wrong Sims 4 folder, for example it might install the packs into the CAS Demo folder or a leftover folder from an older install of the game.  I don't know what the search function is like on a Steam Deck, but if you can search the entire file system for EP12 (High School Years) or another missing pack, you'll be able to see whether the folder is present and where it landed.

    There should actually be three folders, and sometimes some files, for each installed pack.  The one inside a Delta folder is for patch data and isn't relevant here; the one inside Installer is also extraneous.  You're looking for a folder directly inside "The Sims 4" or something named similarly enough that the App might have gotten confused.  And of course the App is doing the installing of your packs since that's where you bought them.

    If none of this helps, I'd suggest doing a clean wipe of Sims 4 and reinstalling only through the EA App.  You'll need to run it anyway, albeit in the background, while playing Sims 4 through Steam, and dealing with two game launchers is always more complicated than just the one.

  • Lycostia's avatar
    Lycostia
    3 years ago
    @puzzlezaddict Uh ok so this took me down a rabbit hole so please bear with me. So I opened up files just to see *If* I could even find the DLC because I originally didn't even think it downloaded.

    I found them in some file in the Sims 4 called Delta. No idea what that means. But yeah I found a lot of files in Delta. You would think the game itself would be larger than 20 gb of space if everything downloaded.

    Also before I get sidetracked, no this is the first time downloading the Sims 4 on to my Steam Deck.
  • @LycostiaSorry I missed read that, researching since Delta on the Steam deck is in Sims 4.

    Ok so no I'm not seeing the file you mentioned but I am seeing EP06 and SP14 just randomly in the main file line up. 

    So I'm probably just going to have to reinstall on the app like you said. Does that mean I download the EA app? If so how would that work on Linux? 

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    3 years ago

    @Lycostia  I don't know exactly how the EA App works in Linux, or specifically on a Steam Deck, but I do know it works because I've seen the complaints about offline mode not working properly.  For that, you'd be better off  consulting a Linux or Deck forum; the people who post here really don't know enough about Linux to be helpful.  The one thing to make sure of is that Sims 4 is completely gone from your system before reinstalling.

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