The time has come for me to stop trying to help Mac users attempting to play Sims 3. The game came out in June 2009 and hasn’t been updated at all since January 2014. That means that no version of macOS since OS X 10.9 Mavericks, probably 10.8 Mountain Lion would be more accurate, is supported so there is no guarantee it will work. This is also true for all Macs released since 2013 as the hardware will not be supported.
There are fixes you can try and if anything miraculous comes to light then I will update my pages. These workarounds still work for some:
- Bypassing the Launcher
- Expansion and Stuff Packs not showing as installed
- Adding your graphics card/chip to the game files
- Unknown Error fix related to Late Night/Ambitions/Fast Lane/Outdoor Living
- Game will not load using the physical disc
- Expansion and Stuff Packs not installing through Origin
To be honest, I’m growing weary of users posting the same issues over and over again and expecting a magic fix when there simply isn’t one. EA have been silent over the Sims 3 for years now, they’ve moved on. It’s disappointing that the game had such a short shelf life for us Mac users but it never worked well right from the beginning due to EA’s decision to use Cider.
If Sims 3 works for you great, count yourself lucky. If Sims 3 doesn’t work then maybe it’s time to move on and accept that you will not be able to play.
Bluebellflora 