Console players, rejoice! It’s finally here! The Gallery has come to console and the best part? It’s cross-platform! Share and discover player-made creations across PC and console right in the comfort of your living room (or wherever you like to game).
In order to help our console friends transition into using the Gallery smoothly, we’ve compiled a little introductory guide on how to use the Gallery. You’ll find it’s nearly identical to the Gallery on PC, just with a few additions to make browsing and navigating a little easier on a console.
Before we dive in, it’s worth noting that you do NOT need a PlayStation Plus or XBox Live Gold subscription in order to access the online Gallery! It is completely free to use for any player with The Sims 4 installed on their console. However, you do need to link your PlayStation or XBox account to EA if you haven’t, already.
Introducing the Gallery
Anytime in-game or on the main menu, you can select the icon of two photographs in the top right corner of your screen. This icon was always there, but previously, it just led you to your local library of Maxis created items and things you created in your game and saved for later use. Now it has a whole new function! You can still browse the library like you could before, but now you have access to a whole new world of creations made and uploaded by other players on both console and PC!
You’ll see three tabs at the top of the Gallery. Navigate between them using the L1 & R1 buttons (PS4) or RB & LB buttons (XBox). We’re going to break down each tab so you can get the most out of all the new features they offer.
The Gallery
This tab is where you want to go when you want to look for player-created Sims, lots, and rooms to download into your own game. Use the filters in the sidebar to refine your search. You can sort between lots, rooms, or households, as well as select whether you want to see PC creations or just console creations. Filter for different packs, too. Explore the filters; there are many ways you can hone your search on exactly what you’re looking for!
When you find something you want to add to your game, select it to bring up more details about that creation and look at it in a larger window. You can also just like and download right from the Gallery browse page if you’ve fallen in love at first sight. For households, you’ll be able to see the traits, ages, and names of every Sim in the household on this larger screen, as well as any family ties they might have with the other Sims in that household. For lots, you’ll be able to view more pictures of the lot, including the layout of each floor.
NOTE: We noticed this message on some Gallery posts. It looks like some downloads made on PC with newer versions of The Sims 4 might take some time before they can be downloaded on console.
Don’t forget to be a courteous Simmer! Console players may not know this, but it’s considered good Gallery etiquette to favourite and leave a nice comment on any lot or household you download. You can also follow the creator to be notified whenever they upload a new creation. If you liked it enough to use it, the creator deserves some appreciation for making it for you!
Favourite a fantastic creation by selecting the heart icon at the bottom of that Gallery creation and don’t forget to comment! You’ll need to open up the creation by selecting it from the Gallery browse page in order to comment on a creation.
You can also quickly favourite a creation by pressing △ (PS4) or Y (XBox) on your controller. Quickly follow your favourite creators by pressing □ (PS4) or X (XBox).
TIP!
It’s a good idea to read the description of anything you download. There’s no risk of accidentally downloading something dangerous, but lots of builders like to use advanced build cheats to really make their builds pop. This can cause some objects to disappear when you download and place the lot in your own game. You’ll have to use the bb.moveobjects on cheat before placing the lot to have everything show up correctly. Creators will often tag their creations with the #MOO tag to let players know they should use this cheat before placing the lot. Don’t worry! This cheat won’t disable your trophies/achievements!
Profile
Your profile is where you’ll be able to see everything related to your own creations. Check out how many people have downloaded your creations, look at any comments other players have left on your profile, see how many followers you have, and browse and manage your catalogue. It’s all there for you!
If you plan to really build up a following on the Gallery, it’s a good idea to regularly go through your catalogue, deleting old uploads that didn’t get many downloads and showcasing some of your best creations. Keeping your catalogue fresh and current is sure to increase interest in your uploads.
Showcase in moderation! It’s ideal to showcase items while lots of people are online so more of your followers will see the notification that you showcased a creation, but too much of a good thing is a bad thing. Showcasing the same item over and over again will spam all your followers and end up annoying them. Showcasing every single item in your catalogue will make all your creations get lost in the sea of notifications and nothing will get noticed. Try to only showcase your absolute best creations and be mindful of spamming your followers.
My Library
You’ll already be familiar with this tab. The library was what you were using before to save and download creations, except these creations were limited to Maxis creations and your own creations that you had previously saved to the Library. It’s like an offline version of the Gallery. You’ll be able to use the Library even without an Internet connection.
But the best part about having the Library in conjunction with the Gallery is that any creations from the Gallery that you’ve saved to your Library can be accessed through the Library later on, even without an Internet connection! So if you see something while browsing online that you know you’ll want to be able to access again when you don’t have Internet, make sure you save it to your Library!
So what are you waiting for! Go forth and create, but most importantly, share and connect!
