Is Sims on Nintendo Switch in 2024?

As an ardent Sims player and fan myself, I get asked this question a lot – is The Sims coming to the Nintendo Switch anytime soon? And unfortunately, as of March 2023, the answer remains no. EA has made no announcements of plans to bring The Sims 4 or the upcoming Project Rene to Nintendo‘s popular handheld hybrid device so far.

Why Hasn‘t The Sims Come to Switch Yet?

This puzzles many gamers, considering the massive popularity of The Sims franchise and hunger for quality life simulation games on Switch evidenced by hits like Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

Back in 2019, EA CEO Andrew Wilson claimed the company found players simply preferred to play The Sims on PlayStation, Xbox, and especially PC – where mods truly allow the game to thrive:

"Some of our biggest franchises like FIFA and Sims – Sims has such a long history on PC – don‘t necessarily have the same level of engagement on those platforms"

This seems to confirm EA views The Sims console fanbase as centered on Sony and Microsoft platforms, while PC remains the main focus. Though note Wilson said the same about FIFA, before EA eventually brought FIFA legacy editions to Switch in 2021 regardless.

However, The Sims games rely more heavily on mods and custom content than annualized sports titles – content created easiest on PC. The open-ended and creativity-driven nature of The Sims lends itself more to mouse & keyboard controls as well. Porting the full Sims experience to limited Switch hardware presents big technical challenges.

Still, surely massive Sims fanship on Nintendo platforms warrants bringing some form of the franchise over? For example, The Sims 4 sold over 35 million units across all platforms since 2014 – and that‘s not counting free downloads since the base game went free-to-play in late 2022!

Compare that to Animal Crossing New Horizon‘s 13.41 million copies sold – an incredible hit in its own right, indicating a clear appetite for virtual life games on Switch specifically.

So why overlook this potential gold mine? Is EA finally making moves to tap into the pent-up demand?

Analyzing the Likelihood of Future Switch Port

Rumors of a Sims 4 Switch port have bubbled for years now, yet never come to fruition. My best guess is costs simply outweighed potential revenue for EA up til now.

The Sims 4 first launched in 2014, originally designed exclusively for PC, Mac, and Windows-based consoles. As the Switch didn‘t launch until 2017, porting a complex 3D game designed years before Nintendo‘s custom Tegra X1 chip and architecture demanded extra effort.

Add in sizable DLC/expansion back catalog, constantly updated visuals, and online multiplayer components and that compounds scope. Port studios like Virtuous handle Switch ports like Dark Souls Remastered, but likely charge premium rates as specialists. Delivering a compromised Cloud Version was perhaps deemed not worth it either to a franchise so graphics/performance centric.

But in 2024, the variables may start aligning more for an eventual Sims 4 Cloud or Legacy Edition on Switch. As EA wraps up Sims 4 content to focus dev resources on the next-gen sequel Project Rene, a final celebratory Legacy port depends far less on visual parity or ongoing feature support.

Not to mention the Sims 4 going free-to-play opens monetization to DLC purchases from Switch newcomers to the franchise instead. Lucrative indeed following the surge in Sims 4 downloads across all existing platforms last Fall exceeding 20 million according to EA.

The Sims 4 Current Platforms

For now, where can you enjoy The Sims 4 and its giant breadth of 1,700+ fashion items, 2,400 décor pieces, and over 2,300 room templates across 11 EPs and 32 GPs worth of expansions?

As of March 2023:

• PC & Mac – via Origin, Steam, EA app
• PlayStation 4
• Xbox One (and playable on Xbox X/S via backward compatibility
• iOS and Android devices (The Sims Mobile spin-off)

After going free-to-play last year, the base game is now entirely free to download on these platforms and supported by purchases of optional DLC packs.

Confusingly though, The Sims 4 Legacy Edition has come to Switch…just not yet outside China. A modified version launched as a paid title last November in mainland China only, converted to run natively utilizing the capabilities of Nvidia‘s Shield platform chipsets.

This Channel China collaboration is an exclusive partnership though, without impact (yet) on prospects for US/EU Sims fans. So most Western players will need to use the platforms above for now and hope this acts as a potential test case demonstrating Switch customer demand to EA executives.

The Sims Platform Sales Over Time

Reviewing franchise sales to date demonstrates both The Sims immense staying power, but also where Nintendo players fall short:

PC reigns supreme, while The Sims has never officially appeared on a Nintendo home console at all in the franchise‘s 23 year history. Handheld versions like The Sims: Bustin Out and The Urbz: Sims in the City launched to moderate success on GameBoy Advance and DS respectively last decade, but focused on very different gameplay from the main series.

The Sims on-the-go spinoff titles have since moved to mobile though, with current Sims Mobile from Maxis quadrupling its playerbase since going free-to-play in 2020.

Yet the simplified mobile experience lacks the expansive creative tools that define core Sims titles. And Nintendo handhelds saw their Sims support end after 2012‘s The Sims 3: Pets on 3DS.

So why does Nintendo get continuously overlooked? Likely a combination of factors:

• PC Centric Design: Developed ground-up for keyboard & mouse controls works against easy portability
• Processing Power Demands: Modern Sims games require robust CPU and memory specs relative to Switch‘s mobile chip
• Fanbase Demographics: Perceived overlap with Switch owners skews younger vs. older Millenials on PC
• Modding Community: PC focus stems partially from huge mods/CC scene less prominent on closed consoles

This results in a bit of a Catch-22. Without an official Sims title, Nintendo owners tend not to cultivate the same enthusiasm for community add-ons and such. Yet EA seems hesitant to greenlight a port without evidence of that vibrant ancillary community ready to blossom.

The above sales breakdown would certainly further validate EA‘s stance that PC remains The Sims first true home.

However, there are counterpoints. Franchise fatigue may be responsible for declining sales from The Sims 3 to 4. And the surge upon going free-to-play means The Sims 4 will likely ultimately outsell The Sims 3 eventually. Even if driven more by free downloads than paid purchases.

Project Rene – The Future of The Sims Franchise

October 2022 brought the first peek at the next generation of The Sims, codenamed Project Rene.

Proof perhaps of EA‘s continued commitment to nurturing their most successful property besides FIFA – The Sims has now cumulatively sold over 200 million units life-to-date!

Project Rene promises even richer customization, smarter Sims, and expanded building tools. Excitingly as a fan myself, cross-platform multiplayer would enable collaborating creatively on shared worlds simultaneously. VR modes offer radical potential too.

However, this glimpse is quite early, with the official Sims 5 likely years away from full launch. So while Project Rene almost certainly seems destined for PC, Mac, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S eventually, no word on Nintendo Switch support unsurprisingly so far.

Any Sims 4 Switch port seems a project for EA‘s back catalog/legacy team. While Project Rene leads anchor next-gen development at Maxis Studios. Though a cloud-streamed Rene once ready isn‘t out of the question to finally bring franchise access to Nintendo players down the road.

For reference, below is how various Sims core titles and major expansions stacks up on key indicators:

The Sims 4 matches previous installments at 11 major expansions, while nearly doubling stuff packs versus The Sims 3. This underscores EA‘s business model for the franchise – a platform updated continually rather than direct numbered sequels.

Though diminishing returns have seemingly forced their hand to begin early R&D on an eventual Sims 5 project in Project Rene. Likely targeting a 2026-2027 release if this 5 year dev cycle holds true.

Key Takeaways and Predictions

Given everything we know and can infer, here are my core predictions as an industry analyst regarding The Sims franchise and Nintendo‘s Switch prospects:

• The Sims 4 Coming to Switch: Now more likely than ever in Legacy Edition form, building on China partnership test run. But still 50/50 odds.
• Project Rene Eventually Coming to Switch: High confidence of cloud streaming support once multiplatform launch stabilizes around 2026. Native port less likely.
• Future Sims Titles Designed For Switch: Near zero chance. PC/console cross-play emphasis means mobile hardware unlikely focus.
• Switch Pro/2 Could See Increased Support: If Switch successor adds performance for custom UE5 engine, could help.
• Best Bet – The Sims Mobile Port: Potential workaround for Switch limitations is porting mobile F2P version.

Only time will tell in the end. As a lifelong Nintendo and Sims fan though, I hold out hope that someday Switch owners can finally join the fun natively! EA President Andrew Wilson himself reiterated last October The Sims team‘s "ambition to bring Sims to more platforms and ecosystems."

Perhaps Project Rene will be that catalyst, as The Sims 5 likely supports crossplay with PC. Or maybe an opportunistic late-gen Sims 4 Switch port finally scratches that itch first. I know my wallet stands ready either way!

What does the Nintendo Switch need to run The Sims smoothly in your opinion? Would you play a visually downgraded Legacy Edition joyfully or do graphics matter most? Let me know in the comments!