The Sims 4 will roll out a huge skin tone update in December, adding over 100 new swatches and a slider for additional customisation options to the game.
This representation is long overdue. The update will make fundamental changes to the game, though, which will most likely cause some problems for players who use custom content.
That does not mean there will definitely be problems. Sometimes the updates we do not even think will cause issues (like the stacking of windows) can wreak havoc with Sims 4 CC.
And sometimes the big updates which we think will be destructive to mods and custom content cause few or no problems.
That said, with any Sims 4 update, it is important to make sure your game files are prepared, especially if you use custom content or mods.
What the Sims 4 December skin tones update will include
The Sims 4 team said in a blog post that the update will include over 100 new skin tones and a slider for additional options.
The update will also add “compression improvements to make both new and existing skin tones display better, including strengthening the quality of suntans and sunburns”.
Four make up sliders will also be added, allowing players to control the colours of make-up through the hue and brightness.
Players will be able to “adjust transparency with the opacity slider, and control how much colour is in your makeup with the saturation slider”. Further updates to hairstyle textures are also expected.
Preparing Sims 4 CC for the December update
Two major updates to The Sims 4 base game has caused problems for players so far this year. While it is possible that there won’t be any problems, it’s better to be fully prepared.
While the update will focus largely on skin tones and make up, it is likely that custom content like skin details, eyelashes and overlays will all be impacted by the change.
There are a few things you can do to prepare for a big update, there’s a slightly longer version of this post over here (published prior to the Eco Lifestyle patch), but we?ll give you a quick TL:DR.
- Back up your Sims 4 save files and all your other files.
- Turn off automatic game updates.
- Start a ?vanilla? save that you can use after the update to slowly test whether everything is working.
- Remove your mods and CC folder before starting up your game after the update.
- Don?t add back any script mods until they have been confirmed as working or they have been updated.
- Slowly add back CC ? unless you are 100% certain they have been reported as working or you have updated your files.
When The Sims 4 December update will be released
The Sims 4 skin tones update is expected to go live on 8 December 2020. Patches are usually released at 18:00 GMT – which is around 10:00 Pacific Time or 20:00 South African time.
CC creators are usually quite good at updating their content quickly after updates, but you’ll have to check things out on a case-by-case basis.