It's the age-old question that continues to tear gamers apart: console or PC? With most games being published on both platforms these days, it's good to consider the pros and cons to see what best suits your gaming needs. If you're a fan of The Sims 4 in particular, you've come to the right place.
The game has been available for PS4 and Xbox One since 2017, and is the subject of a lot of talk and controversy. While some were excited to see their favorite game available on their favorite console, others still decided to swear by the PC version of the game. So, which platform should you play on? We're here to give you the lowdown on The Sims 4 on both PC and console.
10 PC: Mouse & Keyboard
The first (and perhaps most obvious) advantage that PC has over consoles is the hardware. The keyboard allows for easy navigation of the environment, and you can quickly access most shortcuts on your keyboard. It's also so much easier to type names out or put in your cheat codes.
As for the mouse, you can interact with your Sims and their world so much more precisely, especially when it comes to character creation or finding tiny objects. Unless you're a console veteran, the keyboard and mouse will always be superior.
9 Console: Identical Gameplay
The great thing about playing The Sims 4 on console is that the game takes no shortcuts. That's right: you get the exact same game as those on PC, no strings attached. There's no omitted content that wouldn't normally fit in a console game.
Everything is as close to the PC version as possible, which is a huge improvement from past console versions that would often need to change or tweak features that were either too difficult or downright impossible to implement from the PC version of the game.
8 PC: Accessible UI
The Sims 4's UI is easy enough to navigate, but with such small buttons, arrows and tabs, it's pretty essential you have keyboard and mouse controls, as mentioned earlier.
The UI sits at the edge of your screen, unlike on console where some players experienced a strange, more centered UI that left a weird open border around the rest of their screen. Everything is clean and functional, and with more elaborate modes like Build and Buy mode, the game feels highly intuitive.
7 Console: Play On Big Screen
It's not uncommon for many of us to have a big TV screen these days, for those movie nights with friends and family. A lot of the time, these screens are much bigger than our computer or laptop screens. Now, imagine playing The Sims 4 on a screen that big. It's a huge upgrade if you think about it, and can even make you look at your game in a new way.
Even better, you won't need to invest in a separate, better PC screen for the game if you already happen to have a decent TV screen at your house.
6 PC: The Gallery
One thing that's lacking on the console side the famous Gallery function. Here you can easily share your favorite creations with other passionate Simmers and even find your favorite builders and their most fantastic work.
With one easy click, their houses are implanted into your world and fully playable, so long as you have the same content as they do. This extra content is available for free, and opens up the game for new possibilities and creativity when you are inspired by fellow creators.
5 Console: More Complete Game At Launch
No-one has forgotten about the catastrophe that The Sims 4 was at launch. Well, not to worry, because the developers definitely learned from their mistake and brought in a game that was actually complete for console. Yes, you'll have toddlers, pools and all the other things that PC players had to patiently wait for, which makes this game such a solid purchase for any console gamers.
While the PC version is ahead in expansions, you're guaranteed to get all the content that's being published on PC eventually.
4 PC: Cheaper Price Tag
An interesting thing to note about The Sims 4 PC version is that it's significantly cheaper than its console counterpart. In fact, for Xbox One and PS4 you'll have to pay 10 more bucks for the game, while on PC the base game currently retails for $40.
The reason for this is the fact that console editions are deluxe versions of the game, and you won't have an option to simply buy the base game itself. This lack of choice can be annoying for those who care about saving an extra buck, which is why the PC edition is superior in this regard.
3 Console: No Need For Gaming PC
One of the biggest and most obvious perks is, of course, the price of a console. A gaming PC that's custom built can cost up to several thousand bucks, while consoles will usually retail for a couple hundred.
This includes a controller and everything you need to make your console function, so long as you have a screen to play it on. A gaming rig capable of smoothly running The Sims 4, on the other hand, can get very expensive, as even on laptops the game suffers in quality.
2 PC: Custom Content & Mods
The one thing that PC will always have over console in The Sims 4 is any kind of custom content. Whether it's script mods that bring in new mechanics for absolutely no charge or incredibly realistic new hair styles and outfits, there's something for everyone out there.
You're no longer restrained by the limits of the game itself, and even if you can't afford any expansion mods and custom content, it'll make the base game itself so much more interesting and highly playable.
1 Console: Looks Amazing
Although The Sims 4 isn't an open-world environment, the areas are pretty big and elaborate most of the time. On PC, average and low-end computers will often suffer on decent graphics settings. However, on console you can go as ham as you want and it won't be as much of an issue.
You can finally admire your vibrant Sims world just the way it was meant to be seen, without experiencing the same performance issues, bugs or graphical errors. It's all personal preference in the end, though, as the intriguing and colorful world of The Sims 4 is a blast whichever system you're playing it on.