Sims 4 - Xbox One or old laptop?

[SockEatingMonster]

Hello gamers! I want to buy DS The Sims for Christmas because I want to have a go it seems really up his street and I think he'll love it.

He has an old laptop or an Xbox One and am going in circles trying to work out which platform to buy it for. Laptop spec; HP Pavilion 15-P038NA AMD A8-6410 2GHz 8GB 500GB Radeon R7 M260 2GB DVD-SM Win 8.1

He plays Roblox and Minecraft on the Xbox and various modded versions of Minecraft and Minecraft servers on his laptop. He does often complain that it's slow though.

I'm not too worried about which version is cheaper, just want him to enjoy playing it.

TIA

I think it's much better on a computer than on consoles, but I'm not sure an old laptop will run it well. Although Sims 4 is less intensive than sums 3.

If you get it on the laptop, it's worth getting one of those laptop cooling trays to go with it, which should also help with the other games.

Sims is always better on the PC, the console versions are usually more restricted with less to do. That said, Sims 2 and sims 3 always lagged terribly if you didn’t have a really decent computer. I’ve not played sims 4 but I know it’s mesnt to be better for low-end computers. Judging by your specifications I’d say —you— your son would be able to play it alright on the laptop. Maybe Minecraft lags because of the online servers? Which isn’t a thing in the sims. So you’re fine I’d say!

Thanks for the advice! He has a sort of 'passive' cooling tray (with ventilation but not fans IYSWIM), but I could upgrade that for him. Minecraft is very Java heavy, especially when loaded with mods, so that might be another part of the reason for the lagging. I used to be really good with this stuff, but am out of touch!

Sims 4 has fewer lag issues than Sims 3 due to not being open world anymore but that does mean a return to loading screens. I play on our PC as after two expansion packs the loading took forever on my laptop. There are A LOT of game and expansion packs now so PC is probably the way forward.

This is where the guilt kicks in, because I have a super high spec laptop that I use for work (to run CAD etc) which would run it brilliantly. However, I come out in hives at the thought of the DC using it... We don't have a family PC either.

I meant to add that the reviews of the Sims 4 console edition say it's a full version of the game (compared to earlier versions), but that the controls are fiddly and counterintuitive.

Not sure if that's a price worth paying for no lag?

Oh no don't feel guilty about not letting him use your work laptop! It's for work - games would just slow it down.

ModTheSims is my usual go-to site for sims advice. Perhaps they have a review of the console version.

I have sims 4 on xbox one and it's awesome!

Ah found the discussion - was confusingly titled. modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=598018

Thanks for the link Bertie, I don't think anyone on that thread has played the Sims 4 console version, but it did highlight some worries over how the controls would translate across.

How do you find the menus and controls Cockmagic? Do you play/have you played the PC versions too?

Pros of PC version seem to be:

• Intuitive and easy to use interface, particularly for the world/character creation (which I think will particularly appeal to DS)
• Possibly less glitchy due to having been out longer
• Easier to read menus etc (our TV is not huge)

Pros of Xbox One version seem to be:

• Less/no risk of lag
• It's a more 'sociable' platform and I think DD will have a lot of fun with it too*

*DD is only 7, so perhaps not suitable? I'm usually very strict on video game age ratings, but as far as I can see the rating for this game seems to be 12 because of the sexual content which, so long as it's all consensual, is not a particular concern. What do those that have played it think?

I'm more of a Sims 2 player but have let DS play since 7ish. It's all blurred out when they are nude anyway. He wasn't very interested in making them have sex at that age so he didn't go looking for all the animations - that's the only thing that would make me worry a bit because some of them are a bit awkward to explain to a child who isn't really yet aware of what sex specifically is. TBH I think the relationship interactions in general are quite cartoony - DS last year thought it was hilarious to make one character kiss two different people and get slapped for it :o

DD is 5 and we play it together, her characters only make cakes and go swimming. I would let her play it alone because she wouldn't think of sex stuff. I guess it's harder when they're a bit older though.

It runs fine on my 5 year old laptop which was medium gaming spec at the time

Thanks so much for all the advice. I think DD would enjoy it too and they'd have great fun playing on it together.

We live in a rural area with lots of farming and smallholdings, so the DC are pretty matter of fact about sex. The chap with the field behind us has previously bred ponies, which is a sight to behold! As far as they're concerned it's just how animals make babies, and we're just another type of animal. So as long as it's not gratuitous, non-consentual or kinky, I'm ok with it.

I've been watching gameplay videos on YouTube and, having almost ordered the pc version this morning, am now swinging back towards the console edition...

There is really nothing explicit included, just allusions like they can do it in all different areas, the bed, the hot tub, the shower, etc.

In Sims 2 you can sleep with the maid to get a special memory and it's implied that you can use sex to get certain goals like sleeping with the headmaster to get your child into private school, or sleeping with your college professor to get better grades, but none of these are explicitly stated as goals, and in reality it's just a quirk of how the relationship system works - because the sex action gives a large boost to relationship, it inadvertently helps with relationship based goals. However, without mods, your sims have to be in love to be able to have sex anyway so this is quite an unlikely scenario.

The sims 3 has horses in their pet pack, but it's not very laptop friendly. None of the other games have horses.

Re non consensual, good luck getting a sim to do something they don't want to do. And if they get as far as sex, sometimes that sex makes a baby and babies are HORRIFIC to look after. Life lesson.
Pc version!!

Thanks, I ended up ordering the Xbox version, purely because I know he'll enjoy playing it with DD (who has no interest in laptop games). I can't wait to have a go too!