I considered buying a gaming PC powerful enough to run the highly demanding Sims 3, but I just got Sims 4 instead. It runs perfectly fine on my lower-end machine.
I think it's simple and also more realistic that we can't control the pets or see their needs, and honestly I like when pets have autonomy. In my game all I do is fill their bowl and call them to eat twice a day, play with them and take them on walks, and they're fine.
When I first got Dine Out I was so excited for my sims to go out to eat, but as soon as we got to the restaurant the hostess started dying in the floor. It took like 3 Sim hours for the Grim Reaper to leave and for a new hostess to appear