The Sims 4 will roll out its October update for PC on 6 October ? and it is one that might affect custom content. A big focus of the October patch is fixing some of the skin tones in the game.
The patch for console will only be released in November. The second part of the Sims 4’s skin tones update will be released at a later date ? and that update will have a significant impact on custom content.
For now, though, let’s deal with how to prepare Sims 4 CC and mods for the October patch.
With a skin tone fix being a key part of the October patch, there is a chance that any custom content you are using as skin tones might be affected.
Often, what seems like a minor change can have quite a big impact on custom content in The Sims 4. For example, the most recent patch ? released before the Star Wars Journey to Batuu game pack ? added the ability to stack windows on top of each other.
A minor change on the surface, but that update has ?broken? most CC windows, doors and arches. While these are still usable, they have all lost their transparency.
The Sims 4 Studio team are still hopeful that they will be able to roll out a batch fix, but the change even impacted some of the base game windows for the Sims 4.
It’s not unusual for this type of update to cause trouble with custom content. With the Island Living expansion pack, for example, CC bathtubs started glitching because they had not been updated for mermaids. The Sims 4 Studio managed a batch fix for that, but there’s no way of knowing in advance what the impact of the next Sims 4 update will be.
For the upcoming Sims 4 skin tone updates, players who use CC in their games should be sure to take care to avoid any mishaps.
There are a few basic steps you can follow to avoid crashing your game or losing your save files.
Turn off automatic updates for The Sims 4
Open Origin and select Preferences or Application settings from the main menu. From here, turn off the switch for Automatic game updates and Automatically update Origin.
Make a back up of your save file
It goes without saying that it’s a good idea to make a backup your of Sims 4 game before installing any updates or new content.
Go into your game and ‘save as? before you install the update. This will ensure you have a ?test file? to work with.
Once you have installed the latest Sims 4 patch, remove all mods and CC from your mods folder before. Creators are good at keeping everyone updated on whether they?ve noticed anything to be broken and there is usually a helpful thread on the official Sims forums also tracking broken mods and CC after a Sims patch.
How to get the latest Sims 4 skin tones update
You need to make sure that you turn on ?Uncompressed Sim Textures? in order to be eligible for the October skin tones update. This is not a default setting. You can read our guide on how to do that over here.
Remember to turn CC and mods back on after the update
If you?ve updated The Sims 4 and you aren?t seeing your mods or CC appear, make sure you have turned them back on. To do this, go to game options after you have loaded your game and check that script mods and custom content has been enabled.
Fixing bad or broken Sims 4 CC
If things go wrong, don’t worry – there is a way to find and fix broken CC in the Sims 4 (see our full guide here).
To easily fix broken or bad custom content in The Sims 4, you will need to use the Sims 4 Tray Importer from? L?Univers Sims. It’s a completely free download and it is safe to use. You can?download The Sims 4 Tray Importer from the official website over here.