Sims 4 (Mac) 

Is Sims 4 on Mac?

The popular social-simulation game is available for Apple computers, meaning that you can easily play Sims 4 on Mac. However, note that only the EA version of the game has macOS support – the Steam variant is only available for Windows. To get it from EA Games and play Sims 4 on Mac, you’ll first need to acquire EA’s Origin app, which acts as a downloader and launcher for the game. If you need help with the process, we’ve provided detailed instructions further down this post. We’ll also touch upon the game’s performance on Mac and whether there are any notable differences between its PC and the macOS ports.

Sims 4 for Mac: Compatibility

Sims 4 for Mac is compatible with any Apple computer, be it with an Intel CPU or an M1/M2 chip. While the macOS version of Sims 4 is developed for Intel Macs, thanks to Apple’s Rosetta 2 emulation software, the game also works flawlessly on Apple Silicon machines. Like its PC version, Sims 4 for Mac is relatively undemanding, yet you’ll still need to consider the game’s system requirements, which we’ll talk about in a bit. Newer Mac models, especially ones with M1 and M2 chips should have no problem running the game at the highest settings, but an older Intel machine may get some performance hiccups if you don’t reduce the eye-candy from the settings.

How to download Sims 4 on Mac

Though the game has macOS support, it must be noted that it is important to consider from where you download Sims 4 on Mac. You would think that getting it from Steam would let you play it on a Mac computer, but you would be wrong. For whatever reason, getting the game from Steam won’t let you run it on your Mac as the Steam version of Sims 4 is only available for PC. In order to download Sims 4 on Mac and be able to play it afterward, you’d instead need to get it from the Origin platform – EA Games’ gaming store.

To learn how to get the macOS version of Sims 4 and run it on your Mac, check out the instructions we’ve posted at the end of this article.

The Sims 4 Mac requirements and performance

As noted above, the requirements for the Sims 4 on Mac are rather low, so most Mac machines released in the past 10 years should have no problems running this game. Still, we wanted to provide you with the hard numbers and also give you a general idea of what hardware is needed to run the Sims 4 on Mac and get a decent performance. Of course, it’s also important to consider the graphical settings you want to use in the game – the higher you want them to be, the better hardware you’ll need to support them. But first thing’s first – here are the requirements for the game according to its developer:

• OS – 10.11 (El Capitan) is the earliest version of macOS for which the game is supported.
• CPU – Your machine needs to have at least an Intel Core i3-3225 3.3 GHz (2 cores, 4 threads) or a better CPU to be able to run this game. If you are on an Apple Silicon Mac, all M1 and M2 chips should have no issue with running The Sims 4.
• RAM – 4 GB of RAM/virtual memory is the minimum amount needed for this game.
• HDD – The game takes approximately 26 GB of storage space, but it’s best to also have at least another 10 GB free space left in your hard-drive after the installation, or else the machine may start to experience slow-downs.
• Graphics – The minimum GPU required to play The Sims 4 on an Apple computer is Intel HD 4000 (Integrated Graphics), which is mainly used in MacBooks from 2012 and 2013, so if you have such a model or one with a better GPU, the game should run just fine on it.

In general, if you are on a MacBook from 2013 or later that has all its latest updates installed, you should be able to get an okay performance with The Sims 4. Obviously, to play the game on higher settings and still have smooth gameplay, you’ll need to be on a newer and more powerful machine. That said, anything released in the past 6–7 years should provide you with good performance while playing at the medium or high settings.

The Sims 4 on MacBook vs on PC

You can expect a pretty good performance and overall experience with the Sims 4 on MacBook. After all, this game is one of the relatively few titles that Mac users can run natively on their computers and, unlike many other Mac ports of Windows games, its macOS version is well-optimized, so there’s virtually no difference between running it on a PC and on a Mac (provided that the two machines have comparable hardware). In other words, you won’t need to jump through any hoops and perform any elaborate setup procedures to download and enjoy Sims 4 on MacBook, and the experience you’d get will be pretty much the same as if you were to play it on a PC.

How to play Sims 4 on Mac

Below are our instructions on how to play Sims 4 on Mac, and they involve registering on EA’s site, installing the Origin client on your computer, and then using it to get the game downloaded and installed. Since this is a free game, you won’t need to purchase anything or start any paid subscriptions. Just make sure that, before you start, you check whether your Mac meets the game’s requirements and has enough hard-drive space to accommodate its installation. If you have already done this, and you are ready to begin, here are our instructions on how to play Sims 4 on Mac:

1. Go to this link, click on Register, and create an EA Games/Origin account if you don’t already have one and confirm the email used to create the account.
2. Click here, select the download button for Mac, and download the installation file for Origin.
   
3. Open the Origin installation file when it downloads and install the app by dragging its icon to the Applications folder icon.
   
4. Once the app is installed, go to the Applications folder and double-click on its icon to start it.
   
   • If you are ever asked whether you are sure you want to install/open this app because it’s been downloaded from the Internet, click Open.
5. Once you open Origin, log in to your account, then search for The Sims 4 using the search bar, and click on the game’s tile.
   
   • If you don’t initially see the base game among the different DLC’s, click on View all in Store and scroll down until you find it.
     
6. On the game’s page, click on Get the Game for free.
   
   
7. Open your Origin Library, click on the Sims 4 tile, and download the game. Once the game downloads and installs, start it from the Origin app or from your Applications folder.