New Sims 4 update adds deeper skin details and long-awaited pack selection ⇒ Sims4Life

A new Sims 4 update was released on August 19 for PC, Mac, and consoles, bringing in more realism-focused skin details, long-requested pack selection options, and several critical bug fixes. While some fans may have been expecting a bigger content drop teased through the enchanted by nature summer roadmap, this patch is still one of the more impactful updates when it comes to representation and player control.

New Sims 4 skin details add wrinkles, freckles and body variation

One of the standout additions in this Sims 4 Patch is the expanded skin details, designed to add more representation and realism to elder Sims and other age groups. Producer Ash, who led the update, explained that the team wanted to build on the progress made with the vitiligo update from 2023 by addressing player feedback around aging and representation.

Working alongside art directors Tracy and Cheyenne, the team focused on adding realistic wrinkle patterns, body mass variation, stretch marks, freckles, and even rosacea. Tracy’s favorite addition is the new body wrinkles found around the knees and belly button, while Cheyenne highlighted the balance between keeping the wrinkles authentic but still within the stylized Sims 4 aesthetic.

In Create-a-Sim, players can now find new skin detail options including:

Mouth wrinkles
Eye bags
Cheek and forehead age spots and dark spots
Upper and lower body wrinkles with or without age spots
Expanded stretch marks across torso, arms, and legs
Full-body freckles in light, medium, or heavy coverage
Rosacea with three intensity levels

These features are customizable, offering light or dark tones and various densities. They layer properly with tattoos and body hair and adjust dynamically depending on the Sim’s body shape. However, wrinkles are not available for teens, and none of the new features are currently available for children. EA has confirmed more kid-friendly skin details are planned in the future.

Pack selection finally arrives in Sims 4

A surprise addition in this patch is the new pack selection feature, a tool that many long-time players have wanted. This new setting allows players to choose which expansion, game, and stuff packs to load into the game when starting a new save, without the need to uninstall them entirely.

You can access the pack selection menu from the main menu by clicking the three dots to open Game Options, then choosing the new Pack Selection tab. All owned packs will be listed, and players can simply check or uncheck the ones they want enabled. This can help improve game performance or create curated gameplay experiences.

It’s important to back up your saves before making changes, as removing packs from a save can impact gameplay. On PC and Mac, players will have the option to create a stripped-down copy of their save without the missing content.

Mods and CC are not managed through this feature, and EA advises players to disable them before using it to avoid complications. If you try to load a save with missing content, you’ll see warning icons, and you’ll have the option to continue without the missing packs, restore them, or create a clean save.

Video: Pixelade

DirectX11 upgrade and performance fixes for PC players

PC users running Intel GPUs will now default to DirectX11 when playing Sims 4. Other players will continue using DirectX9 unless they manually set their game to use DirectX11 through launch arguments. EA has provided a guide for users wanting to adjust their settings this way.

Rendering has been improved to reduce lag and boost visual smoothness. The update also fixed some annoying issues such as:

Shadow flickering
Inconsistent lighting and brightness
Graphics crashes tied to specific settings

These performance improvements aim to create a more stable gameplay experience for PC and console players alike.

Enchanted by Nature update adds illness toggle

For players who own the Enchanted by Nature pack, there’s now a new toggle in the options menu titled “enable ailment spread.” When disabled, Sims won’t pass ailments to one another, although fairies can still spread them manually, and Sims can still develop them due to imbalance.

This toggle gives players more control over how the supernatural mechanics affect their Sims, which was a common community request.

Upcoming kits and creator collaborations

Two new kits are launching later this month: the Grange Mudroom Kit and the Essential Glam Kit. The Grange Mudroom Kit is created by Peacemaker, a well-known custom content creator in the Sims Community, while CrypticSim is behind the Essential Glam Kit.

The addition of more creator kits reflects EA’s continued interest in working with fan-made content developers to bring fresh ideas into the game.

For more on Sims 4 kits, you can explore The Sims official site.