Forum Announcement, Click Here to Read More From EA_Cade.

Sims 3 On A Mac?

Hi, I have a Macbook Air and I was wondering if it is possible to play Sims 3 on a Mac?
8b787dbb95ac5f2afbd53010e3e3a47f4c9ed619.gif origin id: grilledtempeh

Comments

  • WonderstruckkWonderstruckk Posts: 195 Member
    It is, but it's not as good as a PC. My main computer is a Macbook Pro and I tried Sims 3 on it; it worked fine, but the graphics weren't as good and I remember my computer's fan blowing pretty hard and it getting extremely hot. My computer being brand new at the time, I was scared of ruining it, so I switched to an older PC and that's where I play it now
    anigif_enhanced-25237-1426197588-11_preview.gif
  • igazorigazor Posts: 19,330 Member
    There are two issues at play here. MacBook Airs are lightweight machines whose strong points are portability and of course OS X. They are not meant for graphics intensive games. Until a couple of years ago, most models wouldn't really be able to run TS3 very well or at all. The newer, higher end ones now can up to a point so it's going to depend which model you have.

    The second issue is that TS3 for Mac is a crippled version of it's Windows sibling. Due to the way EA arranged its port from Windows into OS X, the Mac version can only utilize 2 GB of RAM no matter how much the player has installed; the Windows version almost twice that. If the game reaches for more, you get graphics glitches, crashes, or Error 12s. That puts limits on how far one can push this game even on stronger Macs. It's unfortunate, but the only version of Sims in the series that EA did this to. TS1, 2, and 4 were/are all done properly.
    o550pjoa47rpxo63g.jpg
    NRaas has moved!
    Our new site is at http://nraas.net
  • phoebebebe13phoebebebe13 Posts: 19,400 Member
    @igazor Op posted in the sims 4 too and the game is not running well for them.
  • WinMacSims3WinMacSims3 Posts: 1,610 Member
    That depends. If you have a 2015 MacBook Air with Intel HD Graphics 6000, you will not be able to play The Sims 3 under OS X/macOS since the card is not supported/unrecognized but a 2014 MacBook Air with Intel HD Graphics 5000 can run it. You may be able to run it if you modify the GraphicsCards.sgr and GraphicsRules.sgr files, @BluebellFlora could probably help you. However, The Sims 4 will not be an issue since the game is designed to support newer Intel GPUs.

    Bear in mind that The Sims 3 will run slower since the game uses Cider.
    Origin ID: GothicSimmer, YouTube: GothicSimmer
  • It is, but it's not as good as a PC. My main computer is a Macbook Pro and I tried Sims 3 on it; it worked fine, but the graphics weren't as good and I remember my computer's fan blowing pretty hard and it getting extremely hot. My computer being brand new at the time, I was scared of ruining it, so I switched to an older PC and that's where I play it now
    I think the contrary, I have a Macbook Pro, and TS3 works really fine, my previous Windows PC was getting hot, too. But when it comes to run TS4 with the windows section in my Macbook, after some time, it starts to blowing.

    IfvKgi.jpg[/URL]
  • igazorigazor Posts: 19,330 Member
    edited February 2017
    I think the contrary, I have a Macbook Pro, and TS3 works really fine, my previous Windows PC was getting hot, too. But when it comes to run TS4 with the windows section in my Macbook, after some time, it starts to blowing.
    There really aren't very many Mac players who are working with more than just the TS3 base game and maybe two of the early EPs who would say this. I mean, I'm glad you enjoy/enjoyed TS3 for Mac and it is possible to have fun with that version of the game of course, but the 2 GB RAM restriction that can never be overcome no matter what Mac you have is for the birds.
    o550pjoa47rpxo63g.jpg
    NRaas has moved!
    Our new site is at http://nraas.net
  • igazor wrote: »
    I think the contrary, I have a Macbook Pro, and TS3 works really fine, my previous Windows PC was getting hot, too. But when it comes to run TS4 with the windows section in my Macbook, after some time, it starts to blowing.
    There really aren't very many Mac players who are working with more than just the TS3 base game and maybe two of the early EPs who would say this. I mean, I'm glad you enjoy/enjoyed TS3 for Mac and it is possible to have fun with that version of the game of course, but the 2 GB RAM restriction that can never be overcome no matter what Mac you have is for the birds.
    Well I personally think there is much more mac users than how you think, as the USA population generally use macbooks. Apple's design is much different than how the normal PC's work, when it comes to release a product, they harmonise software and hardware perfectly, that's why a mac is being used for many many years more, while ordinary windows pc s need to be upgraded after 2 years. And anyone needs to confess that after a time, windows get crazy and people need to back up every game data regulary in case of their pc s need a format or a repair. Personally, I used both of the systems, and I found my solution is run ts3 on mac also run windows with ts4 addition. And it works fine.

    IfvKgi.jpg[/URL]
  • igazorigazor Posts: 19,330 Member
    edited February 2017
    @BuildingStructures - Macs and OS X are great for all of the reasons you mention and more, there is no argument there. I manage a cross-platform network professionally and would never have anything other than Macs at home for my own personal use.

    I never said that there aren't many Mac users generally. What I was trying to say is that there aren't very many who are as happy with TS3 for Mac as they could be with TS3 for Windows. The Mac version of the program, not the Macs themselves, is flawed by design. It's the only iteration in The Sims series that does not have a properly done native port into OS X. The way EA arranged it, through a badly done Cider wrapper, TS3 for Mac is limited to 2 GB of RAM usage no matter how much RAM the player has available. For those using all or most EPs and a heavy amount of store and custom content, and who like to play very long running, ongoing games in heavily populated worlds, that RAM restriction is very limiting to gameplay and why I had to switch over to Bootcamp and the Windows version myself after a couple of years as have so many others. As soon as the Mac version tries to reach for more than 2 GB, that's it the party's over. It's graphics glitches, crashes, or Error 12s upon trying to save. Or a combination of all three.

    It is also the case that players on Macs with various types of integrated graphics chips cannot play the game at all, as @WinMacSims3 already pointed out above. It just does not run for them, period.

    When a player asks about TS3 for Mac, the general procedure here is to:
    a) Find out which model Mac they are on and its exact specs to check for the ones that cannot even launch the game.
    b) If they have suitable hardware, then that explain sure the program will run but with limitations and what the limitations are.

    It is not impossible to have fun with TS3 for Mac if fortunate enough to have a system that will run it properly. I'm glad you are enjoying it on your end. But to say that the game is fine on Macs generally is an overstatement that doesn't provide the player with the full picture of what they can expect. This is based on experience in helping or trying to help a very large number of players over the years here and at NRaas.
    Post edited by igazor on
    o550pjoa47rpxo63g.jpg
    NRaas has moved!
    Our new site is at http://nraas.net
Sign In or Register to comment.
Return to top