Ahead of the release of Adventure Awaits, we’re getting a big update to the sims 4 base game. This will be available for PC/Mac on the 18th of September and for console players on the 23rd of September.
Here we will break down how to prepare for the update, as well as what you can expect.
Table of Contents
What To Expect This September
Base Game Update: A big update for PC & Mac is due on the 18th of September, which has been pulled forward to give the team time to test against a variety of hardware and setups.
Console players will get the update a few days later on the 23rd. Since PC and Mac will be on a newer game version for a few days, until the update console players will need to use the PlayStation and Xbox filters in the Gallery to avoid any compatibility issues.
TDESC Files: If you are a modder or custom content creator. you can also get TDESC files via the Sims Discord so you can be prepared ahead of the new expansion pack release. However, EA does clarify they can’t fully support all mods, especially for bugs that only appear when mods are in play. You can access that discord channel here.
Community‑Prioritised Fixes: Alongside the update, EA is asking players to vote on bugs via the The Sims 4 Bug Reports section of the EA Forums. The team will focus on issues with the highest votes. Some bugs are already marked “Under Investigation” or “Needs Info,” and save file problems remain a priority.
What’s Coming In The Big Sims 4 Update?
We haven’t gotten a formal announcement about this new update’s content yet, so knowing what is going to be included in this big Sims 4 update is going to involve a bit of guesswork until the patch notes come out.
The last big base game update we got was adding lots of skin details, and we normally get a big update to the base game ahead of an expansion pack release – like platforms being added when we got Snowy Escape, or Infants when we got Get Together – so we can also speculate that maybe something will be added that compliments Adventure Awaits gameplay.
We can, however, safely assume that this is going to include lots of quality of life updates, game fixes, and things to prepare for the next login event.
Game Fixes
The latest Sims 4 Laundry List announced on social media and their website we can see that the main repairs they are focusing on are ones with the most community upvotes, including:
- Sims autonomously needing to sit down when having a glass of water
- Pets getting deformed when travelling to another lot
- Sims not being able to properly resume writing a book if they’ve been interrupted by another Sim to socialise.
- Skill cheats can’t be used to lower skills
They also said they are working on fixing things which aren’t listed here, suggesting the updates to the game are ongoing and they’re aware that there are more bugs than the ones listed in this patch.
Given the long laundry list, it’s safe to assume that the updates we’re going to be getting soon are going to be addressing at least some of these fixes.
New Login Event Content
The new login event, Sims 4 Forever Friends, has been announced ahead of the update, so its more than likely that this update is to help prepare for that.
These life events, which reward players for logging in every week, are designed to up their player counts while giving us some new content as a reward. Therefore, adding lots of quality of life updates in time for this new event starting only makes sense.
There is new content like a new trait or aspiration as well as new photo frames and plushies, so if these all come with new interactions then these will all need to be added before the event goes live.
Preparing For A Big Sims 4 Update
Big updates always instil dread in some players – me included – but with a few simple steps you can make sure that you give your game the best chance against corruption.
Back Up Your Save Files
This is probably the most important thing you can do ahead of a large update. Regular backups are crucial to prevent data loss due to system crashes, hardware failures, or issues with mods or custom content, so it’s always important to ensure you back up your save files before any significant changes to your game – including big base game updates.
To back up your Sims 4 save files, follow these steps:
- Navigate to the save files location. If you are on a Windows PC the file path should be: Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 4/Saves.
- Copy the save files you want to back up. The names of the save files are all numbers, but the most recent ones you’ve created should be the highest number. If you’re worried about not backing up the ones you need, copy all of your saves.
- Paste the copied files into a new and secure location, such as an external hard drive or USB stick. It’s also a good idea to name the backup folder to include the date of the backup for easy identification.
- If you need to restore a save, move the copied save files back into the Sims 4 saves folder and replace the existing files.
Checking and Testing Mods
If like me you’re a big fan of custom content and mods, updates planned to the Sims 4 can fill you with worry thinking about the long task of finding broken pieces of content in your game and wading through mod conflicts.
Using the 50/50 rule is a good way to set your mods folder up for success and make finding broken content much easier. If you are having game errors and think custom content/mods are to blame, sometimes the only way how to find out what’s causing it is by doing a 50/50.
Essentially, the 50/50 method involves testing half your mods folder – then half again, and again, and again – until you weed out all the broken content that needs updating. You can also read ThatSimsLady’s explanation of this method here.
The best way to do this is to:
- Make three new folders outside your mod folder called ‘Tested clear’, ‘Tested broken’ and ‘untested’
- Move all your mods to the untested folder
- Delete your thumcache file – this is a package file that can be found in your Sims 4 documents folder. You’ll need to do this each time you run a new test for your mods/cc.
- Move half of your untested mods back to the mods folder, and open the game. If you use MC Command Centre then this is a good one to test straight away, as it will alert you to any broken content / exceptions. If an error is found, test each new mod/cc you’ve added until you find the broken one, then add it to the ‘tested broken’ folder.
- Keep going with this method until you’ve found all the content that needs updating.
You should ideally also test your mods in a new save, and not save your game while you are testing these.
If you are using the 50/50 method to check your mods, make sure that you:
- Never separate mod files from the same mod. That might seem obvious, but if you separate mod files and then in testing they show as broken, it’s more than likely going to give you a false positive.
- Take note of any mods that rely on each other. If you for example use lots of mods that rely on an XML injector, and then separate these from it, this might be the reason they don’t work rather than a patch update.
Countdown to The Sims 4 Update Release
Since there will be two different release dates for the big Adventure Awaits Pre-Patch (one for Desktop and one for Console) we thought it would be informative to provide exact countdowns for each Update release.
The first countdown is set for September 18th, 2025 when the next Sims 4 Update is scheduled for release on PC and Mac. The second countdown is set for September 23rd, when the next Sims 4 Update is scheduled for Xbox and Playstation console releases. The latter one is subject to change depending on internal approvals from Sony and Microsoft.
Find out when the next Sims 4 Updates release in your area and brace your save files and Mod folders for impact:
Countdown to The Sims 4 Update Release on PC and Mac
Including EA App, Steam and Epic Games launchers.
Countdown to The Sims 4 Update Release on Xbox and Playstation
Including Playstation 4, 5, 5 Pro, Xbox One, Series S and X
What content or fixes are you hoping to see with this new update?
Since lots of what is coming in this new update is still unannounced, we will be bringing you more information on content as we have it. Follow along with the latest news on The Sims Community as we will bring you updates as they happen.
