I am wondering this too!
When I bought my Mac Mini with full specs, I really hoped I would be able to play Sims 3 decently, but it all turned out to be a disaster.
I could not play Sims 3 in MacOS because the game kept crashing, and having sever graphical corruptions. When I started the game in Windows 10, it was playable, but still, I was really disappointed not being able to play the game on more than low-mid-settings.
But, I have learned by my mistakes. When playing Sims 3, the graphics card on your Mac/PC is essential for having a decent gaming-exerience. You may have 16GB of RAM, and an i7 processor, but if your graphics card is not compatible with Sims 3, then you'll not have a decent experience.
- Yes, The Sims 4 runs on M1 Macs via Rosetta 2. The Sims 4 is a life simulation game that gives you the power to create and control your very own Sim. The Sims 4 is the latest entry in the legendary Sims series and features tons of new systems that make it the more sophisticated and enthralling Sims game to date.
- The Sims 4 will definitely run. My 2012 13 MacBook Pro ran it pretty well (around 30fps), so the 2020 will definitely run it with good settings (much more than 30fps). GTA V is a processor intensive app rather than GPU and it is already old. I believe you will be able to get quite good fps using the 2020, on 720p res.
I found a list on Mod The Sims showing every compatible graphics cards, so I suggest you check it out there (:
How to add The Sims 4 on your Mac if you have a PC-only disc of the game The Sims 4 for Mac is a digital-only release. The installation discs in all packaged editions of The Sims 4 are not Mac compatible, but players who buy a packaged PC-only version can still redeem the code in the box to access the Mac version through Origin. Here are my specs: MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015), 2.7 GHz Intel Core i5, 8 GB 1867 MHz DDR3, and Intel Iris Graphics 6100 1536 MB. I just checked my game options. For graphics, I have it set to medium. My entry level MacBook Air has finally arrived so I can start playing around with Sims 3 and Sims 4. This is my Mac: 2020 13″ MacBook Air Apple M1 chip with 8‑core CPU, 7‑core GPU and 16‑core Neural Engine 8GB unified memory 256GB SSD storage. I have all packs up to and including Snowy Escape installed. Settings are maxed out in each game.
This summer, I will buy a max specd MacBook Pro 2017, I will try to remember your post and come back with some feedback from my experience playing the game (: I have no plans installing Windows on that one too though, I feel Windows is so slow compared with MacOS, at least on my Mac Mini.
Again, I will try to remember your post!
Happy simming 😀 Sul sul 😍
Apr 20, 2017 12:07 PM
Yes, The Sims 4 runs on M1 Macs via Rosetta 2.
The Sims 4 is a life simulation game that gives you the power to create and control your very own Sim.The Sims 4 is the latest entry in the legendary Sims series and features tons of new systems that make it the more sophisticated and enthralling Sims game to date.
The Sims 4 on Mac
The Sims 4 hasn’t always delivered great Mac support. For a while, it was no longer playable due to a lack of 64-bit support. But ever since, developer Maxis has stepped up its game and ensure The Sims 4 on Mac is just as good as on Windows.
Is The Sims 4 worth it? The reviews
So did The Sims 4 delivered? Is it as good as its predecessors? The game didn’t receive exceptional reviews at launch. Most agreed The Sims 3 had more to do and they punished The Sims 4 for it.
Yet The Sims 4 has always had more depth. And since its initial release, the game has received plenty of updates and DLCs.
Bottom line: In spite of average reviews, The Sims 4 is the best Sims game you can buy today, by far.
The Sims 4 Mac requirements
These are the game’s official Mac requirements:
| Minimum Requirements | |
| OS: | 10.11 |
| Processor: | 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo |
| Memory: | 4 GB RAM |
| Graphics: | NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT, ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro |
| Hard Drive: | 16 GB |
| A 64-Bit OS and Metal support are required | |
Note that according to these system requirements, a Mac with integrated graphics should not be able to run it. But we can confirm it’s possible. More on that below.
The Sims 4 M1 Mac support
Yes, The Sims 4 runs on M1 Macs with Apple Silicon via Rosetta 2.
Last Updated: February 3, 2021:
What is Rosetta 2? Rosetta 2 is a translation process that enables an M1 Mac with Apple silicon to use apps built for Intel-based Macs.
As you can see below, the game is still exclusively written for Intel-based Macs, but thanks to Rosetta 2, The Sims 4 can nonetheless run great on M1 Macs:
More M1 gaming? Visit our M1 Supported Games list for 100+ Mac games we have tested and confirmed as M1-compatible.
The Sims 4 M1 Mac benchmarks
The table summarizes our results as well as results from other members of the community:
As a reminder, this is how we describe the different levels of performance:
- Below 20 FPS: Unplayable: Laggy gameplay, full of stutters and slowdowns.
- 20-30 FPS: Borderline: Can be OK in slow-paced games. Still, not optimal.
- 30-45 FPS: Playable: Acceptable for most (most gaming consoles do this).
- 45-60 FPS: Smooth: Fluid gameplay, with no perceivable stutters.
- 60+ FPS: Very Smooth: For hardcore and professional players, a luxury for most.
We usually aim for 30 FPS, because 30 FPS is enough to guarantee a smooth and fluid experience for most casual gamers.
Tested versions:
Concerning our in-house benchmarks, the game was tested on the following M1 Mac:
- 13-inch MacBook Air (2020): Apple M1 chip with 8-core CPU, 8 GB RAM
- OS MacOS Big Sur version 11.1
- The Sims 4: Version 1.70.84.1220
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If you’re interested in testing games on your own M1 Mac, you can use this form:
You can also join our Discord to request a game or talk with other M1 Mac users.
The Sims 4 Mac download
You can download The Sims 4 from EA.com.
Sims 4 For Macbook
Be aware that the game is also available on Steam but that version does not support macOS.
Sims 4 Auf Macbook Pro 13
And more importantly, if you have your own M1 test results to share, on this game or another, please share them with us using this form.