Category: Apple

SimCity now 64-bit, compatible with macOS Catalina

Published on by BluebellFlora4 Comments

How did I miss this? Aspyr released a 64-bit version of SimCity a couple of weeks ago on the Mac App Store, happy days!

Just open the App Store and search for SimCity. Alternatively, here’s the direct link.

The upgrade is free if you have already purchased the game through the App Store, otherwise you will need to pay for it, the price is currently £19.99 in the UK.

Still no word from EA yet on whether they will updating the version available in Origin. To be honest the Aspyr version has always run better and been more stable in my experience so I would definitely go with that option if you want to play. Enjoy!

Sims 3 for Mac to get a major update in early 2020

Published on by BluebellFlora45 Comments

These really are exciting times for Mac Simmers! After EA_David’s announcement that Sims 4 is dropping support for Lion this week, he’s just announced that the Sims 3 is getting a big update. In a nutshell:

  • Sims 3 for Mac will be updated to support 64-bit (finally!)
  • It will also be updated to support Metal (yay!)
  • The update will be through Origin and will require existing users to uninstall their current game and install the new version
  • The update will be free to all users with a currently registered copy of Sims 3 and add on packs in Origin
  • The update is expected to be available in early 2020 although no exact date has been announced yet.
  • Requirements will be a Mac running macOS 10.9 Mavericks or later and be Metal supported.

64-bit information
The upgrade to 64-bit means that Sims 3 will run in macOS Catalina, the first macOS to completely drop support for 32-bit apps, which Sims 3 is. It will hopefully also mean the game should run much better than it ever has. This is because there is virtually no limit to the amount of RAM a 64-bit app can use whilst 32-bit apps can only access up to 4Gb RAM. The current version of the Sims 3 for Mac has only ever been able to use 2Gb RAM and is part of the reason for the frequent crashes and inability to run the game

Metal information
Metal is the graphics API introduced by Apple to replace OpenGL. For more in-depth information have a look at this Apple article. However not all Macs support Metal. The following Macs will be able to run the upcoming version of Sims 3:

  • MacBook models introduced in 2015 or later
  • MacBook Air models introduced in 2012 or later
  • MacBook Pro models introduced in 2012 or later
  • Mac mini models introduced in 2012 or later
  • iMac models introduced in 2012 or later
  • iMac Pro (all models)
  • Mac Pro models introduced in late 2013, plus mid-2010 or mid-2012 models with a recommended Metal-capable graphics card.

If your Mac is not listed above you will not be able to update to the new version of the Sims 3 but will still be able to play the current version.

I’ll keep this site updated with more information as it is released but this is really FANTASTIC news 😀

Metal upgrade postponed for Sims 4

Published on by BluebellFloraLeave a comment

On the plus side everyone gets the opportunity to play Island Living. I say opportunity because it looks absolutely delicious in the trailer with high graphics but I shouldn’t imagine low end machines will handle it well:

On the down side, we’re still waiting for our Metal upgrade that EA said would be released in June and, I’m hoping, will provide a noticeable boost in performance for Metal supported Macs:

Please remember, EA dropping support for 32-bit machines in the Sims 4 is irrelevant to all Mac users. The Sims 4 has always been 64-bit for us. This is also NOT related to Apple dropping support for 32-bit apps in macOS 10.15 Catalina.