This summer, The Sims 4 will stop supporting 32-bit operating systems on PC, and on non-Metal Mac OS machines. The update is set for June, and it comes as a result of Apple’s plan to phase out support for OpenGL in its move to Metal.
For Sims fans who still are running older, 32-bit CPUs, that’s tough news – they won’t be able to see any future updates to The Sims 4, and there won’t be any future bugfixes or tweaks to that version of the game. However, those players will still be able to play the game as it exists today thanks to a forthcoming Legacy Edition of The Sims 4.
The Sims 4: Legacy Edition will “be made available” (EA doesn’t mention a price, so we assume it’ll be free) to existing owners of The Sims 4 on both PC and Mac, according to a post on the Sims Community forums and EA Help. The Legacy Edition isn’t going to be available for sale, but current players will get instructions from EA on how to obtain their copies when it launches in June this year.
EA says the Legacy Edition will be a separate version of the game from the one players are currently running, so it won’t come as an automatic update. Players will have to download and install this distinct copy of the game when The Sims 4 is updated to phase out 32-bit support in June.
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While The Sims 4: Legacy Edition will continue to work on 32-bit systems, it’s going to be a bit restrictive: In addition to not getting any new content or updates (like the delightfully weird Strangerville expansion), online features like The Gallery, game banners, and social integrations will be disabled. You’ll only be able to purchase additional content if it was released some time before the end of February 2019.
Frustrating though it might be that 32-bit support is expiring for The Sims 4, it’s frankly pretty impressive that the game has supported that architecture for as long as it has.