The Sims 4 players tired of their creations wasting their time playing video games like Blicblock and Incredible Sports are in luck because a new mod allows them to experience some excellent real-world titles. Given how flexible and reactive The Sims‘ systems are, it stands to reason that users could have their Sims spend time sitting at the computer and grinding out levels in their favorite video game. While there are certainly more beneficial hobbies, it’s a fun bit of meta-textual design to have characters in the game playing a video themselves.
Over on Nexus Mods, creator SimmerWellPupper shared their “Better Computer Games” mod which does exactly what one might expect by swapping out The Sims 4‘s fictional games with titles like Cyberpunk 2077, Grand Theft Auto V, League of Legends, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. The mod comes with seven new games that Sims can install on their computers as well as unique flavor text for each one and some modified animations. While they may not be officially canon to The Sims 4, they’ll certainly help sell the fantasy for users creating as realistic a world as possible.
As for how the mod actually works, it seems to be the case that the game the Sims are playing is just pre-captured footage that’s then played on the computer screen to make it appear as though they’re actually controlling the action. In addition to the popular AAA titles, the “Better Computer Games” mod also allows players to purchase a high-end ROG Gaming PC to ensure that their Sims are able to run even the most intense experiences. It’s currently unknown whether the creator plans on expanding the mod with extra games but it could be an opportunity for the future.
While developer Maxis has released a wealth of add-on content for The Sims 4, the community has still taken an active role in shaping the experience they want out of the game. Thousands of mods have been developed to help users create even more detailed Sims while also making the construction mechanics more specialized for those who enjoy building houses. There are even mods to fix the game’s UI and prevent it from advertising additional content packs to players.
As The Sims 4 nears its 10-year Anniversary, the community is beginning to question what the future holds. Maxis has confirmed that it’s currently working on something using the codename Project Rene which is widely speculated to be The Sims 5 but this has yet to be confirmed. Until such a time as a sequel is formally announced, players can likely expect plenty more content packs and add-ons to further grow the experience.
Source: SimmerWellPupper/Nexus Mods
