Tag: 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:

The Sims 4 on a Mac

Published on by BluebellFlora8 Comments

As we all know The Sims 4 isn’t yet available for OS X. Maybe it never will be? So instead of crying and stamping feet, how about being a little bit proactive or give up and move on? The only way you will be able to run TS4 on your Mac at the moment is to either Boot Camp your Mac or install a virtual machine with Windows.

There is NOTHING wrong with installing Windows on your Mac. Any Mac with an Intel processor (basically any made in the last 7 years or so) can run Windows happily. I’m afraid I have no time for petulant Mac users who refuse to “pollute” their darling Macs with Windows. Instead look at it this way – how amazing and cool is it that your “darling” Mac CAN run Windows? And, in my experience, more smoothly and trouble free than most PCs. How cool is it that virtually no software is out of your reach? That you can run virtually anything on your Mac? Pretty damn cool I think.

So if you’d like to Boot Camp your Mac but are a bit scared, rest assured it is ridiculously easy:

How to install Windows using Boot Camp (with screenshots)

Or if you’d like to install Windows in a virtual machine so you can run it at the same time as OS X I’d recommend Parallels. I’ve used both VMware and Parallels in the past, specifically for CAW, and I found Parallels to be a lot easier, more user friendly, and more frequently updated than VMware. But that’s just my experience.

In the meantime, if you are playing, or attempting to play The Sims 4 on your Mac in Windows, please head over to this thread I’ve started on the officials so everyone can share their experiences and help each other. It seems like so far people are able to play relatively problem free 🙂