The Sims 4now has over a decade’s worth of content under its belt, and the entry in the long-running life sim franchise has no signs of slowing down. Over the years,The Sims 4has brought life sim lovers plenty of expansions, both free and paid, and players got a big surprise earlier this month.
On April 2,The Sims 4dropped a surprise free updatethat added a variety of new items and character customization options. Pride-themed knee socks, face paint, tattoos, wall decorations, and clothing items rounded out the content update, adding the cherry on top to a year already filled with fun content from the franchise. This update was a pleasant surprise, but it also seems like a calculated effort to draw attention away from its brand-new competitor,InZOI.
The Sims 4 Has Some Major Competition On its Hands With InZOI
InZOI Has Made Waves in the Life Sim Community
OnceInZOIhit the scene on July 20, 2025,The Sims 4released its April 2 update just a few days later. Of course, this could simply be a mere coincidence, but consideringInZOIis the biggest competitionThe Simsfranchise has seen, the surprise update feels far more calculated. WhileThe Sims 4has the benefit of a full decade of content that proves it has what it takes to have further longevity,InZOImakes some notable tweaks toThe Simsformula that make it stand out.
It has been confirmed thatInZOIwill eventually have mod support.
InZOI Has Some Major Differences From The Sims 4
WhileInZOIandThe Sims 4are both built on the mission of wanting to offer players a satisfying life sim experience, the former has a much deeper focus on realism.The Sims 4, and the previous entries in the franchise, are far more cartoonish and stylized. Of course, this gives the series its own unique identity, but a lot of life sim fans have been quite excited aboutthe realism ofInZOI. The inclusion of features like vehicles and deeper customization have madeInZOIa life sim game worth keeping an eye on, and it seems as thoughThe Sims 4is working to make sure it has plenty of content.
July 21, 2025, marked the 25th anniversary ofThe Simsfranchise. Ahead of the anniversary,The Sims 1andThe Sims 2were released for Windows 10 and 11 on January 31.
The Sims 4 Has More Updates On the Way
WhenThe Sims 4announced the surprise update at the beginning of the month, the official tweet claimed that there are more free updates planned for this year.The Sims 4boasts an impressive history, and there are bound to be plenty of players who stay on board with the game, butInZOIis definitely a compelling approach to the genre.
IfThe Sims 4’s future free updates are strong content offerings, then it will likely keep the attention of players, but it needs to make sure that extra items and customization options are exciting enough.There is still plenty to discover inThe Sims 4, and that’s a major benefit the game has, butInZOI’s newness and potential must be a little bit nerve-wracking for EA.
Of course, only time will tell ifThe Sims 4’s free updates will be enough to go up againstthe hype surroundingInZOI. With the latter being in early access, there is still more to look forward to, and it will be fascinating to see ifThe Sims 4continues to drop surprise updates around the same timeInZOIdoes.
The Sims 4
WHERE TO PLAY
Unleash your imagination and create a unique world of Sims that’s an expression of you. Download for free, and customize every detail from Sims to homes and much more. Choose how Sims look, act, and dress, then decide how they’ll live out each day. Design and build incredible homes for every family, then decorate with your favorite furnishings and décor. Travel to different neighborhoods where you can meet other Sims and learn about their lives. Discover beautiful locations with distinctive environments and go on spontaneous adventures. Manage the ups and downs of Sims’ everyday lives, and see what happens when you play out scenarios from your own real life. Tell your stories your way while developing relationships, pursuing careers and life aspirations, and immersing yourself in this extraordinary game, where the possibilities are endless
