The level of popularity that The Sims has attained over its 20-year lifespan has been in-part thanks to publisher Electronic Arts and developers Maxis releasing it across many platforms. Together, they have managed to make the games accessible to numerous consoles and other systems over the years, making The Sims readily available to millions of people around the world.
Along with being downloadable on Microsoft Windows, the series has made its way onto over 10 different consoles, including Xbox, PlayStation, GameCube, and Nintendo Wii. For each version of The Sims released, certain alterations were made to its world and mechanics. This has worked well for some installments, such as The Sims 2, but not so well for later versions. Despite the varied success of console releases, The Sims still reigns supreme on PC, which has been its primary platform since the beginning.
The Sims
After The Sims released in 2000, it became one of the best-selling PC games of its time. Three years after its launch, EA and Maxis released the base game for Xbox, GameCube, and PlayStation 2. On console, The Sims follows a storyline in where players can advance through levels of controlling Sims in different living situations. The living situations fluctuate in difficulty with levels such as “Money From Mom” and “Party Animals.” This is very different from the PC version, which lacks any main objectives aside from appeasing the wants and needs of players' uniquely customized Sims.
The Sims 2
The Sims 2 on console follows a level-based storyline, while also giving players the option to play on their own terms. One noticeable difference between the console and PC version of The Sims 2 is the way players can move their Sims around, using the analog sticks on console to move Sims directly or clicking on the spot they want their Sims to travel to on PC. EA also removed pregnancy and aging features from The Sims 2 on console, much to the displeasure of its fans.
A spin-off from The Sims 2, released exclusively for consoles, is The Sims 2: Castaway. This survival-themed installment of the franchise is different from any of its predecessors, requiring players to scavenge for materials they can use to build huts and other items. Like previous console releases, The Sims 2: Castaway has main objectives the players must complete to progress: in this case, finding their way off the island. This title also does not include any aging or pregnancy features, something that accentuates the quality of The Sims 2 on PC when comparing the two.
The Sims 3
Released in 2009, The Sims 3 broke expectations for how far the series could progress in five years. The first ever open-world map to grace the series delighted fans on both PC and consoles, and children were featured on console versions for the first time. Unlike the previous two console titles, The Sims 3 lacks a main storyline, instead just following the footsteps of The Sims 3 on PC by allowing players to raise their Sims in custom houses. There was also a feature exclusive to PS3 and Xbox 360 known as the Exchange, with which players could upload and share their items with other players online.
The Sims 4
The most recent title in the series, The Sims 4, saw a new depth of content and the removal of the open-world map. In terms of how well the console and PC versions measure up, the two are almost identical. Like The Sims 3, the ability to directly move Sims via analog controls was removed, making it more akin to the PC version. However, this is more challenging when navigating on console. The Sims 4 on console also had the Gallery feature - similar to the Exchange from The Sims 3. However, it was added rather late in the game's life, with an annoying inability for players to download custom-content containing items from PC players.
Although some console versions of The Sims have proven to be a unique standalone games, for the most part The Sims on PC proves to be the better option of the two time and again. With custom content available for download and players having the option to add their own mods, the original platform that The Sims was launched on still shines brighter than the rest, despite vast improvements in console versions over the past decade.