Ahead of the 25th anniversary of The Sims series, EA revealed and began rolling out a series of updates for The Sims 4 which includes some base game upgrades.
A patch out today, January 14, brings a refreshed main menu for The Sims 4, designed to remove the “clutter” and better prioritize some key buttons. “New Game / Resume Game has moved from right to left, as have a few of the other navigation options,” an EA blog post explains. “Home, Events and Store can be found at the top, along with the Options panel in the far right.”
Here’s another nice detail in the revised menu: “The Sims in the center are your last played household Sims, all of them!” Look at them go.
Today’s update also brings miscellaneous memory and performance improvements as well as a refresh of the base game homes. Townie Homes in Willow Creek and Oasis Springs have been “updated and renovated,” but you can still use the “Legacy” versions if you want via My Library. New games using these homes will automatically use the updated versions, and you can update your existing saves by manually placing the new homes via My Library.
Another update scheduled for February 4, the series’ anniversary proper, promises a “huge” batch of content headlined by over 70 new in-game items which will be free to all players. The collection covers hairstyles, clothing, and accessories for a wide range of Sims, from toddlers to adults, per a separate blog post.
February 4 will also kickstart a limited-time “Blast from the Past” event packing additional items “inspired by iconic items from the 2000s, like a milk carton, telephone, alarm clock, triple-tiered birthday cake, and inflatable chair and loveseat.”
Additionally, an interim patch of sorts coming Thursday, January 16 promises three new Kits: “The Secret Sanctuary and Casanova Cave Kits, which will include a mix of Build Buy and Create a Sim items inspired by iconic Sims characters, plus the Comfy Gamer Kit, created in collaboration with lilsimsie!”