Author: BluebellFlora

Sims 3 64-bit is almost here for Mac

Published on by BluebellFlora9 Comments

Such a flurry of excitement since a second copy of Sims 3 started appearing in user’s Origin  games libraries on the 20 October! It seems that we now don’t have too much longer to wait. In preparation, and to confirm what we do and don’t know, here are a few pointers:

Will my Mac run the 64-bit version of Sims 3?

  • Your Mac must support Metal and be running macOS 10.13 High Sierra. This is most likely because Apple updated to Metal v2 in High Sierra and from issues reported in the Sims 4 Mac forum we know that it improves performance. These Macs support Metal:
  • You must also read the system requirements posted by EA_Leeloo here to check processor and video card requirements.
  • If you are running 10.11 El Capitan or 10.12. Sierra you can upgrade via the Mac App Store. You can also find the direct download link for High Sierra here.
  • If your Mac is a 2011 model or earlier (excluding the Mac Pros mentioned above) this updated version is not for you. Carry on playing the original 32-bit version you have.

How do I install the 64-bit version?

  1. You should uninstall your current installation of the original game but make sure to back up your saves first. By now I’m sure you’re probably aware this is not an easy task and has to be done manually. Full instructions on how to do this can be found here.
  2. Once the updated version shows as available for download in Origin simply click and download as normal.
  3. If you have never registered the game in Origin but have the codes from the disc version you must download and install Origin and redeem the product codes in your account. Instructions here.

EA_Leeloo posted a FAQ here on Answers HQ and MaxisJoe posted his monthly update here. Both are definitely worth a read. They don’t answer all the questions I have such as:

  • Will a new Sims 3 folder be created in the Electronic Arts folder or will the newly installed game successfully read the current folder (that you should have backed up before uninstalling the game)?
  • Will installing Sims 3 Store content actually properly work now or do we still need to jump through hoops to get it installed into the Launcher?
  • Has the 2Gb RAM cap been ripped off now the updated version is 64-bit (in theory yes)?

It’s REALLY important that people understand this updated version of Sims 3 is a compatibility version. It is not a bug fix, it does not add additional features. The game is no longer in development and has not been for years. It is so Apple users running 10.15 Catalina and later versions of macOS can once again play the game.

I’ll post again once it’s been released and I’ve had a chance to play around and check things out. In the meantime, feel free to ask any questions below if you need clarification on any of the above points 🙂

Problems with The Sims 4 on Macs with AMD Vega GPUs

Published on by BluebellFlora1 Comment

The September patch seems to be wreaking havoc on Macs with AMD Vega GPUs. Users have reported crashing, glitched graphics and system lockups when trying to play the game. The affected Macs are:

  • 2017 iMac Pro.
  • 2018 15″ MacBook Pros. Not all these models will have Vega GPUs, it was an option at point of sale.
  • 2019 15″ MacBook Pros. This was the last model before Apple changed to 16″ screens. Not all these models will have Vega GPUs, it was an option at point of sale.
  • 2019 21″ iMac 4K. Not all these models will have Vega GPUs, it was an option at point of sale.
  • 2019 27″ iMac 5K. Not all these models will have Vega GPUs, it was an option at point of sale.

You can check to see which GPU your Mac has by clicking on the Apple in the menu bar then About This Mac. For 15″ MacBook Pros click System Report then look in Graphics/Displays you will have an integrated Intel chip and a dedicated AMD GPU.

There are currently three separate threads at Answers HQ which users are posting in:

If you are experiencing this on a Mac with Vega graphics, please head to the relevant thread and click the all important Me Too button in the first post. The more Me Toos, the more likely QA are to look at it.

No concrete workaround yet although lowering your settings to all low does seem to help. Try also switching to the Sims 3 camera if you are using the Sims 4 camera.

What is the ConfigOverride folder? Editing Sims 4 graphics files the easy way

Published on by BluebellFlora8 Comments

The September 2020 patch 1.66.139.1220 has introduced an easier way to edit the Sims 4 graphics files. This is helpful if you have a newer machine with a GPU that isn’t yet supported in the game. Or you want to edit the files to override the in-game settings.

There is now a folder called ConfigOverride in the Sims 4 user data folder where your saves etc. are stored. You can place copies of the GraphicsCards.sgr, GraphicsRules.sgr and Default.ini files in here and any changes you make to the copies will override the existing game files in The Sims 4.app > Contents > Resources. If you have issues with the files you have edited, you simply trash them and the game will default back to the master game files in the Sims 4 app. You can then repeat the copy/paste to add them to the ConfigOverride folder and edit away. Repairing the game will replace the master files in the Resources folder.

Windows users – head over to Crin’s site for your instructions.

To make the file copies for editing:

  1. Right click on the Sims 4 app and select Show Package Contents (Windows users: \The Sims 4\Game\Bin and skip step 2)
  2. Navigate through Contents > Resources
  3. Select the Default.ini, GraphicsCards.sgr and GraphicsRules.sgr files and hold down CMD and C to copy or go to File > Copy
  4. Open the ConfigOverride folder in your Sims 4 folder and paste the files into the folder, CMD and V or File > Paste
  5. DO NOT drag the files from one folder to the other, you must copy/paste them

These are not normally files that the average user has to bother with so if you’ve never had to edit the files before, chances are you won’t need to start now. However, for those who like to tinker around and potentially break things (like me), here’s a quick explanation for these files and what they do:

Default.ini – you can change the default plumbob colours for your sim in here

GraphicsCards.sgr – the database for all supported and some older unsupported graphics cards (GPUs) in the game. If you receive the warning that your video card is not supported when you load the game, this is where you add it. You can also raise the default setting for your GPU if you think it is too low.

GraphicsRules.sgr – this tells the game what to do with the in-game graphics options when you chose Low/Medium/High/Ultra. There are settings for each which you can change. Simp4Sims has made an edited version of this available to download for free here which will really make your game look beautiful.