Category: Boot Camp

The Sims 1 is back! But only on Windows. Here’s how to play it on a Mac

Published on by BluebellFloraLeave a comment

The nostalgia is immense and Jerry Martin’s music is still as good 25 years later. But only for Windows users.

25 years ago Maxis released the original Sims game and it was superb. Silly, quirky, simple, and lots and lots of fun. EA are celebrating this by re-releasing Sims 1 and Sims 2 through EA App, either separately or in a “Birthday Bundle” where you get a couple of Sims 4 Kits thrown in too. But only for Windows, not for macOS. Not really surprising though, The Sims 1 and The Sims 2 (minus a few packs) were originally released by Aspyr Media, not EA, probably through some kind of licensing deal. The Sims 2 Super Collection is still available through the Mac App Store and runs on Intel and Apple silicon Macs but Aspyr never made a digital version of Sims 1 available unfortunately.

Both The Sims 1 and The Sims 2 were originally written for PowerPC equipped Macs and required installation via disc. If you want to play The Sims 1, or The Sims 2 with all Packs available through EA App, on a Mac there are a few options available depending on your set up:

  1. Install Windows through Boot Camp. This is the most stable way to run Windows on a Mac but is only available for Intel machines.
  2. Use a virtual machine such as Parallels. Available on all Macs but can have limitations. Make sure to check specs such as Windows versions and specific Mac compatibility before committing.
  3. Use a cloud based computer gaming system. Should be fully compatible but can be pricey. A good example is Shadow PC.
  4. Using specific software to translate Windows API into a macOS compatible format such as Crossover. Not guaranteed to work with Sims 1 and EA App.

You can check which model Mac you have by clicking on the Apple logo in the menu bar then About This Mac. Apple curate a list of Apple silicon Macs here.

Apple silicon Macs (current “M” series Macs with ARM chips) – 2020 models onwards

This is the least compatible machine unfortunately. It isn’t possible to Boot Camp the silicon Macs and virtual machines are a bit hit or miss. The only guaranteed way to play Sims 1 would be to use a cloud based computer gaming system.

It is currently possible to get the Steam version (but not the EA App version) of Sims 1 installed on a silicon Mac using Whisky. Instructions in this video:

Intel Macs – 2005 to 2020 models

If your Mac has an i3, i5, i7, or i9 CPU (processor) it is an Intel equipped Mac. You can install Windows via Boot Camp on these Macs and it doesn’t cost anything. Boot Camp assistant is already installed in Applications > Utilities, all you have to do is download and install a Windows 10 ISO. Full instructions from start to finish are available in the Boot Camp Assistant User Guide on Apple’s website.

I have a couple of Intel Macs still alive and kicking. The 2017 15″ MacBook Pro with AMD Radeon 560 GPU is Boot Camped with Windows 10 and, after much trial and error and encountering the game failing to launch through EA App, is now happily running the Sims 1. This is how I managed to get it to run:

  1. Used Boot Camp assistant to create a partition and installed Windows.
  2. Installed all available Apple Boot Camp Support software updates in Windows – just search for Apple in the search bar in the Windows task bar at the bottom of the desktop and it should pop up.
  3. Manually downloaded and installed the latest AMD Boot Camp graphics driver for my Mac.
  4. Reinstalled Microsoft VC++ runtime libraries like so:

I could not have fixed the game failing to launch issue without help and instruction from my fellow Hero+, Puzzlezaddict (she’s a Mac user but also knows Windows stuff). Also HUGE thanks to ErmacsForceKin for posting the MS VC++ instructions in the ongoing thread on the EA Forums. which has fixed the game for countless users.

If you’re having issues with trying any of the above join my Mac Sims Discord Support Server for help, click below: