Game Updates are regularly released for The Sims 3 and its expansion packs and stuff packs which bring bug fixes, improvements, and sometimes even new features! Below you find information on the latest game update including what was changed, and instructions on how to install and download the game update.
Current Game Update
Version: 1.50
Release Date: February 19, 2013
You can find your current game version by launching The Sims 3 Launcher and hovering over The Sims 3 icon in the lower left corner. When you hover, a tooltip will display showing you the version information.
Checking For Updates
To download Game Updates for The Sims 3, launch The Sims 3 Launcher for your current game and select the Game Updates tab to check and see if there are new game updates or to begin downloading any new updates. You can also download the latest game update below.
Downloading Updates Manually
Below are The Sims 3 Updates for manual patching that can be downloaded. There are two things you should know. First, regions are important as if you do not have the correct regional update, the game will not update. Second, there are two versions of the updates offered below, for Windows and Mac OS.
For Windows, the Full Update will update the game regardless of what region you’re located in. For Mac OS, the Full Update still requires you to know your region and does not work like the Full Update for Windows.
Game Update Changes
Changes in Update 1.50 – February 19, 2013
Free Sims 3 Base Game Content
- Sims can now dumpster dive from the Commercial Dumpster pre-placed in Sunset Valley and find cool items including furniture and collectables!
- New air conditioning units and electrical box decorative objects.
- New Terrain Paint for Build Mode.
- A new traffic light for Create a World.
Base Game Updates
- Sims, cats, dogs, and horses will animate properly rather than sliding into position when performing social interactions.
- Sims will no longer occasionally flip or stutter when trying to walk through doorways.
- Gifts sent by invalid NPC Sims will no longer cause the mailbox to become unusable.
- The Fog Emitter that came with The Sims 3 Ambitions has been updated to transition properly to the new base game Fog Emitter object. Any lots created with The Sims 3 Ambitions fog emitters that were installed since the release of The Sims 3 Seasons will have to be reinstalled for the emitter effects to play properly. There is no need to re-upload any content to The Sims 3 Exchange – all content created with either The Sims 3 Ambitions fog emitter or the new base game fog emitter will work properly when installed after this update is applied.
- The Fog Emitter is once again moveable once placed in the world.
- Placing blueprints on foundations can no longer cause the game to crash.
- Placing a blueprint in a high rise or an apartment building can no longer cause the game to crash.
- Using the right mouse button to position the camera while previewing blueprints will now function properly.
- Greeting Cards placed in the home will no longer block Sims from accessing dressers or beds.
- Foundation walls are now considered to be light blocking. This prevents snow from accumulating within holes in a foundation that are entirely enclosed within the interior of a building.
- Sims that already had the hidden diving skill prior to game update 1.42 will now be able to use diving boards.
- Broken Omni Plant gift boxes will no longer appear in the Sims inventory when travelling between worlds.
Ambitions Updates
- Ghosts will now properly appear for level 5 Ghost Hunters so they can continue their career progression.
Late Night Updates
- Deleting doors to NPC apartments can no longer cause the game to crash.
- Sims will now animate properly when selecting to dance together in clubs from The Sims 3 Late Night when The Sims 3 Supernatural is not installed.
- Improved performance in Bridgeport related to Sim routing.
Generations Updates
- Pillow Fight wishes will appear much less frequently.
Showtime Updates
- The Park performance venue will now properly place in older save files created before installing The Sims 3 Showtime and any later expansions or stuff packs.
- Karaoke Machine wishes will appear much less frequently.
- The Heckle interaction is no longer available in Sims swimming in the ocean.
Seasons Updates
- Sims can now route properly on floor tiles built above a frozen water surface.
- Hot Dog and Pie Eating contests can no longer ironically cause a Sim to starve to death.
- Harvestable plants that are grown indoors can no longer become dormant or accumulate snow.
- Harvestable plants grown inside biodomes will no longer turn dormant in freezing temperatures.
- Harvestable plants will now always be watered during a rainstorm rather than the check only occurring once per day.
- UFOs can now abduct Sims from households that don’t have enough room for the UFO to appear on the lot.
- Sims will no longer become invisible if The Sims 3 Seasons is uninstalled with a save game created while a Sim is being abducted by aliens.
- Festival Grounds are now valid destinations for sending a Sim to perform through SimPort for players with The Sims 3 Showtime.
- Sims animations are properly reset when editing an active Festival Grounds lot.
- Performance was improved when selecting the “Invade a Community Lot” interaction on the UFO.
- Performance was improved when directing Sims to have a Water Balloon or Snowball fight on a cluttered lot.
- Ice sculptures from The Sims 3 Ambitions no longer melt in sub-freezing temperatures.
- NPCs that throw parties in the winter will no longer select Swimwear as the suggested clothing.
- Saving the game prior to a NPC Sim’s costume party will no longer cause Sims to reset upon loading the save file.
- Frost no longer appears to be a pure white surface on floor tiles or staircases on low detail lots.
- Reflective surfaces no longer suddenly pop back on when snow is melting.
- Rain drops from roof edges now fade out along with the roof.
- Water Balloon and Snowball fights are now easier to cancel from the action queue.
- Gloves no longer appear twice when selecting Outerwear.
- Sims can now be in the rain without an umbrella for a longer period of time before receiving the Soaked moodlet.
- The frequency of alien abductions (without user intervention to increase chances) has been lowered.
- The frequency of aliens visiting the player’s household (without user intervention to increase chances) has been lowered. They will however still visit the world at the same frequency.
- The frequency of getting called by an NPC Sim to go out on a date has been lowered.
- The frequency of umbrellas breaking has been lowered.
Store
- Lemons and eggplants will now show up in the Collection Journal.
- Malleable Mimic Voodoo Doll, Lord Vladimir’s Magic Cauldron, Soothsayer’s Crystal Ball, and Lady Ravendancer Goth’s Book o’ Spells will all now give skills introduced in The Sims 3 Supernatural.
- Fixed issues that occurred when trying to reinstall store lots.
Changes in Update 1.48 - January 22, 2013
- Fixed an issue with Korean, Japanese, and Chinese languages where English text was appearing for The Sims 3 Supernatural and The Sims 3 Seasons.
- Fixed an issue where audio for the new radio stations in The Sims 3 70s, 80s & 90s Stuff was not working properly.
Changes in Update 1.47 – January 8, 2013
Base Game Updates
- Fixed an issue where Sims could not get married.
- Fixed an issue where Sims could not use the telescope.
- Fixed an issue where Sims could not collect space rocks.
Create a World Updates
- Fixed an issue with saving worlds in Create A World.
- Worlds will now install and appear on the main menu properly when downloaded. Worlds do not need to be resaved for this to apply. Any worlds that were affected by this issue can be reinstalled via the launcher and will appear in the main menu.
Store Updates
- Fixed an issue where several Store sets were not appearing in the appropriate room category in Buy Mode.
Game Update Install Instructions
Step 1: Disable Custom Content
Custom Content is all Sims content that did not come from an official The Sims 3 Update, The Sims 3 Store, Expansion Pack, or Stuff Pack. Custom Content is created by 3rd Party Developers that are not regulated by Electronic Arts or The Sims 3 Development Team and may not work with new updates. Custom Content may cause the game to behave unexpectedly or not function entirely.
To disable your custom content, undo whatever you did to install this content to get your game back into an unmodified state. If you placed it in a Sims 3 directory folder, move it to a new folder that is outside your Sims 3 file directory. Your Sims 3 file directory can be found using the paths listed below:
Windows File Directory: C:\Users\USERNAME\My Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3
Mac File Directory: User\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims
Once you have installed the official update you may re-enable your custom content. If you experience problems, disable it again until the 3rd party developer updates their content to work with the official Update, Expansion Pack, or Stuff Pack.
Step 2: Back Up your Save Files
It’s always a good precaution to back up your save files before installing an Expansion Pack, Update, or Stuff Pack. To do this, copy the “.sims3” folders found in the Saves folder onto your desktop or another file directory. Your Sims 3 Saves folder can be found using the paths listed below:
Windows File Directory: C:\Users\USERNAME\My Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Saves
Mac File Directory: User\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims\Saves
After the Update is installed, run the game to verify your saves still function correctly.
Step 3: Let the Update Complete Entirely
Updates can sometimes be rather large and may take a while to download and install completely. Cancelling the update before it has completed may cause unexpected problems, so it is always best to let it finish entirely. Do not close the Launcher until you have confirmed the update is completely installed, as this will cancel the update.
Information credit: TheSims3.com. This information can also be found on The Sims 3 Official website. Information is © Copyright Electronic Arts. Simified does not own the information.