The latest Sims 4 update was released on September 22, 2026. The Sims Team focused on making Sims behave more logically, and the patch also adds free kids content to the base game along with a list of crash and bug fixes.
Here’s a summary of the main changes.
Version numbers: PC 1.128.90.1030, Mac 1.128.90.1230, and Console 2.39.
Free new kids content in the base game
Children and toddlers are getting a new collection of free Create a Sim and Build Mode items. The team also uploaded a new Styled Room, new kids Styled Looks, and a new household to the Gallery under the Maxis account if you want to see the items in use.
New Build Mode items:
- The Crayon Chronicle (clutter notebook)
- The “Look What I Made!” Frame
- Family Game Night Favorites (clutter)
- Junior Artist’s Paint Palette
- Make-Believe Wall Mural
- Bright Blocks Playroom Chair and Table
- The Dino Dive Tank (aquarium)
New CAS items for kids: a sweatshirt, polo shirt, khaki shorts, sequin top, ruffled blouse, and jeans with lace detail. Kids also get a new ponytail with bangs, and four adult hairstyles have been converted for them (Messy Bangs, Afro Part, Long Braids, and Ombre Long Braids).
New CAS items for toddlers: a t-shirt, colorful glasses, and a denim dress.
Smarter Sims with better autonomy
The main focus of this Sims 4 update is autonomy. The team made dozens of changes based on feedback from Discord, Reddit, and the EA Forums, and these are the ones you’re most likely to notice:
- Eye contact. Sims now face each other when they talk.
- Bathroom sinks. Sims now wash their hands in the sink in the same bathroom as the toilet instead of walking to the kitchen.
- Dislikes are respected. Sims who dislike dancing, gardening, or phones will stop doing those things on their own, and teens who dislike fitness will leave the cheer mats alone.
- Outfit variety. Sims now pick from all of their everyday outfits instead of always wearing the first one.
- Fewer repeated actions. Serenading, admiring autographs, making snow angels, shoveling snow, and swinging on swings all have cooldowns now.
- Sleep interruptions. Sims with low energy won’t wake up randomly to fill their Fun, Social, or Hygiene needs.
- Collectible respawns. Rocks, dig sites, frog logs, and wild plants now respawn even while your Sim is on another lot.
There are a few smaller touches too. Sims walk a little faster when they really need to pee, they mourn strangers for less time, and there’s a new failure animation for push-ups when your Sim is out of shape, hungry, or tired.
There are pack-specific autonomy fixes as well. Lovestruck couples will stop kissing in the library, Seasons Sims won’t lounge outside during storms or cold weather, Brave Sims are no longer scared of thundersnow, and Discover University students from inactive households will now attend their classes, which helps with rotational play.
Relationship balancing for Lovestruck and Growing Together
The team also adjusted how relationships change over time in a few packs.
In Lovestruck, Romantic Satisfaction now decays slowly over time instead of dropping suddenly, and it stays frozen for households you aren’t currently playing.
In Growing Together, family members with awful compatibility and a Difficult or Distant dynamic will avoid each other and keep conversations short. The Strict and Jokesters Family Dynamics show up less often, while the rarely seen Distant dynamic can now appear after family members fight.
In Enchanted by Nature, Sims with bad luck will have fewer negative social outcomes, so they have a better chance of social interactions going well.
Top bug fixes
Several fixes target Sims freezing and interactions getting stuck. These are the main ones:
- Married couples will no longer turn back into partners after you enter CAS through Plan Outfits or custom tattoo planning.
- Time and Sims will no longer freeze while the environment keeps moving.
- Sleep and chat interactions (especially group chats) should stop getting stuck in the queue.
- Infants will no longer pop out of cribs or playmats after reloading, and they won’t stack on top of each other.
- Stereos will stop causing endless dance spam in new saves, and replacing an affected stereo should fix older saves.
- Roof trims will stop clipping when platforms or half walls are placed nearby.
The team also mentioned that the Gallery loading issues (“No Results” and “No Connection” errors) were fixed on the server side back in August. Other freezing bugs are still under investigation, and the team says they’re still working on them.
Save and autosave improvements
There are also some changes to saving. Using Save and Exit will now update your existing save instead of creating a separate file, and restoring an autosave will no longer overwrite the wrong save slot. The autosave and save reminder timers also reset independently now, and console players will now see the save reminder when it’s set to 30 minutes.
Crash fixes and what they mean for mod users
The Sims Team confirmed that their top automated crash report was caused by outdated mod files. If you play with mods and CC, it’s a good idea to check for updates before you load your saves. EA has a Mods & Game Updates guide on the EA Forums that walks you through the process.
Other stability fixes include a rare Mac crash during long play sessions, a gamepad crash on console, and crashes related to CAS rendering, Build Mode, and the High School Years Social Bunny app.
For modders, the patch notes include a detailed technical table. The team specifically flagged that career mods overriding the Negotiate a Bonus interaction, UI mods that replace the Buff panel or time controls, and mods that touch save-slot selection should be checked against the new changes.
Other quality of life changes
- Steam players get a faster startup with fewer loading steps and pop-ups.
- Negotiate a Bonus works again on the phone.
- Sims can once again do push-ups, sit-ups, and stretching when you direct them to.
- MixPix digital photo frames no longer show black photos.
- Gallery wedding venues now place correctly as Wedding Venues.
- Many sofas and loveseats now have proper comfort values, and several wall patterns and hairstyles were retagged so they’re easier to find.
This Sims 4 update addresses a good number of issues players have reported, with the autonomy changes being the most noticeable. If you use mods, remember to update them before playing.
You can read the complete Sims 4 patch notes on EA.com for every detail.
Happy Simming!
