Is The Sims 4 on console the same as on PC?
Almost. EA says that most features are the same. The console version has no mods, and it cannot use PC custom content. The console version has the Gallery and the in-game Marketplace. Your purchases and your saves do not move between a console and a PC.
This post lists each difference that EA names. We opened each source on October 9, 2026. The EA FAQ is out of date on some points, so we checked the Gallery and the Marketplace against newer pages. EA lists the consoles as Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5. You read this on the LifeSim blog. We make a browser life sim, and we say where our game does not fit.
Which consoles run The Sims 4?
The EA FAQ says: “The Sims 4 is now playable on PC, Mac, Xbox and Playstation!” It lists four consoles. Older consoles are not supported.
- Xbox One
- Xbox Series X|S
- PlayStation 4
- PlayStation 5
The EA game page lists the PlayStation Store and the Xbox Store next to the EA app, Steam, and the Epic Games Store. The FAQ says that Maxis makes the console versions with Blind Squirrel Games. It says that both Xbox and PlayStation support achievements and trophies.
What is different on console?
The EA FAQ has a question for this. We list the answers in one table.
| Feature | Console |
|---|---|
| Gallery | Available since January 16, 2020, and shared with PC and Mac. Creations that use custom content are not on the console Gallery. |
| Mods and custom content | Mods are not supported on Xbox or PlayStation. The Marketplace sells Maker Packs in the game, with Moola. |
| Cheats | Available. Nearly all PC cheats work. |
| Season pass | None |
| Social features | Screenshots, platform streaming, and an in-game game hub |
The FAQ says that most features are the same at launch. It names the Gallery, mods, and social events as exceptions. The Gallery part is out of date, as the next section shows. The FAQ is the launch text, so treat each row of it with care. The first answer of the console part lists the features of the console version: many base-game updates, Newcrest, expanded gender customization, and Toddlers.
Does the console have the Gallery and the Marketplace?
Yes to both. The EA FAQ says that the Gallery is not available on a console. Newer pages say the opposite.
The Gallery
Sims Community, in an article dated January 16, 2020, reports that the Gallery came to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One with the update of that day. It quotes: “The Gallery is cross-platform. That means PC, Mac, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One Simmers all use the same Gallery.” A player must connect a PlayStation Network or Xbox Live account to an EA Account. No PlayStation Plus or Xbox Live Gold subscription is needed. Creations that use custom content are not available on the console Gallery.
The Marketplace
An EA news post dated April 16, 2026 says that PlayStation and Xbox players can access community-created content in the game, through the Marketplace. Players buy Maker Packs and Kits with Moola. The post says that Kits are no longer sold on the PlayStation or Microsoft stores. It says that Expansion Packs, Game Packs, and Stuff Packs are still sold there.
We did not open a page that says whether the Marketplace works on each console model. We did not check challenges and boost weeks, which the FAQ lists as not available on console. That answer may be out of date too.
Do cheats work on a console?
Yes. The EA FAQ says that nearly all PC cheats work on a console. The cheats page gives the input.
- Hold all four shoulder buttons in the game. The cheat console opens.
- Type the cheat and confirm it.
- Hold the four buttons again to close the console.
On a PC or a Mac, press Ctrl + Shift + C. For the shift-click, the page says: on PlayStation 4, hold Circle and press X. On Xbox One, hold B and press A.
There is one cost. The cheats page says that some cheats on a console “actually disable Achievements and Trophies” on your current save. These are the cheats that need testingcheats true. The page says that other saves are not affected, and that build mode cheats are not affected. For the list of cheats, read Sims 4 cheats.
Do PC purchases and saves work on console?
No. The EA FAQ gives four answers.
- PC and Mac purchases do not transfer to a console. Content is platform-specific.
- PC and Mac saves and creations do not transfer. They are non-transferable.
- PC expansions cannot come to a console, for the same reason.
- The console content is the same as on PC and Mac, and the prices match, without sales and promotions.
So you buy the game and each pack again on a console. A PC player moves saves to a Mac by hand. A console player cannot do this. For the Mac steps, read the Sims 4 save file location.
What does the lack of mods mean on a console?
On a PC, mods add content and rules that EA did not make. A console player has no mods. The FAQ says that mods and custom content are not supported on Xbox or PlayStation. The Marketplace gives a console player some community-made content, but it is not the same as a mod.
The same rule closes the multiplayer mods. For this, read does The Sims 4 have multiplayer. The game is single-player on the Steam page. We found no EA source that adds a multiplayer mode on console.
For what mods do on a PC, read Sims 4 mods.
Is The Sims 4 free on console?
The Steam store data says: “The base game of The Sims™ 4 is free to download.” The EA game page has a “Play for Free*” link, and its footnote says that packs need the base game and all updates. We did not open a console store page today. We could not confirm the price of the base game on each console. Check the store on your console. For the full price picture, read is The Sims 4 free.
Which version should you buy?
This is our advice. It is not an EA rule.
- You want mods: play on PC or Mac.
- You want a sofa and a controller, and you accept no mods and want the Gallery and the Marketplace: play on a console.
- You play on a handheld PC: read The Sims 4 on Steam Deck.
Choose with care, because the choice is not reversible without cost. A purchase and a save stay on the platform where you made them.
What if you want a life sim with no platform choice?
LifeSim runs in a browser at play.lifesim.com, so there is no platform to pick. You create a character, pick a real city, and talk with the people there in open text. It is free. The llms.txt file of our site says that the game is not yet on Android, PC, or console.
LifeSim is a different kind of game from The Sims 4, and it does not replace it. Read LifeSim vs The Sims for the full comparison.
Questions
Can I use mods on PS5?
No. EA says that mods and custom content are not supported on Xbox or PlayStation.
Does The Sims 4 on Xbox have the Gallery?
Yes. It came to Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on January 16, 2020, and it is shared with PC. The EA FAQ is out of date on this point.
Does the console have the Marketplace?
Yes. EA announced it for PlayStation and Xbox on April 16, 2026.
Can I play The Sims 4 on PS4?
Yes. PS4 is on the list. Xbox One is also on the list.
Do console players get the same packs?
EA says that the DLC is the same as on PC and Mac. You buy it again on the console.
Who makes the console version?
The EA FAQ says that Maxis makes it, with Blind Squirrel Games.
Can I move my PC save to Xbox?
No. The FAQ says that saves and creations are platform-specific and non-transferable.
Does the console version have a season pass?
No. The FAQ says that there is no season pass.
Are there achievements?
Yes, on both Xbox and PlayStation. Some cheats turn them off for a save.
What did we check, and what did we not check?
We opened six pages on October 9, 2026. Four come from EA, one comes from Sims Community, and one comes from Steam. The Gallery and Marketplace rows come from the Sims Community article and the EA news post. The other rows come from the EA FAQ.
We did not check these points.
- The price of the base game and of each pack on the PlayStation Store and the Xbox Store.
- The size of the download on each console.
- The speed of the game on each console. The FAQ gives no performance numbers.
- Any change that EA made to the console version after the FAQ was written. The FAQ has no date that we could read.
EA changes the game often, so read the FAQ again before you buy. If a point here is wrong, the EA FAQ is the source of truth, not this post.