Sims 4 Stuttering: How To Make It Run Smoother
With our tips, you will fix stuttering in Sims 4 to enjoy the game without hindrances. 🎯
The Sims 4 is a game that manages to be both new and familiar. It offers a comfortable and enjoyable experience without being overwhelming. Although imperfect, it is still an excellent choice for long-time fans. It’s like moving into a new home for those who love the game. Occasionally, the game may experience stutters or freezes, even with a high-performance gaming setup. In light of this issue, we have developed a guide to assist you in resolving Sims 4 stuttering on your computer.
Why does Sims 4 stutter on my PC?
The problem of Sims 4 stuttering on your PC can be due to several reasons:
- you have a low-end computer
- outdated graphics driver or Windows OS
- issues with the overlay app
- corrupted game files
- demanding in-game graphics settings
- problematic game mods
How do I fix stuttering in Sims 4?
First, do these more straightforward steps:
- Check Sims 4 recommended system requirements. You may need to boost your hardware.
- Restart the game or your PC. It may be a temporary glitch that will be resolved by restarting the computer.
- Run the game as administrator from the installation folder.
- Verify and repair game files.
If you followed all the preliminary steps but the problem still exists, do the following:
- Update your GPU driver
- Remove game mods
- Go offline and disable the overlay
- Disable fullscreen optimizations
- Optimize in-game settings
1. Update your GPU driver
Outdated graphics drivers are one of the most common causes of game problems, and updating is the first step we recommend.
1. Right-click on Start and choose Device Manager.
2. Double-click on Display adapters to expand it.
3. Right-click on your graphics card and click Update driver.
4. Windows will automatically check for an available update; if there is a new version, it will download and install it.
📌 If there are no new updates you have checked previously, visit the official website of AMD, NVIDIA, or Intel and download the latest version.
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2. Remove game mods
Mods in Sims 4 are fan-made and not official game features. They may cause issues like stuttering. If this happens, try moving the Mods folder to a new location as a temporary fix.
1. Close the Sims 4 and restart your PC.
2. Upon restart, open Windows Explorer and navigate to the Sims 4 installation folder.
3. Move the Mods folder to your desktop.
4. Start Sims 4 and check whether the stuttering issue still occurs.
3. Go offline and disable the overlay
If you’re not using multiplayer, we recommend disabling online features before starting a game:
1. Launch EA App.
2. Click on three stripes in the upper-left corner of the EA App and select Go offline.
3. Now, select Settings from the menu. Navigate to the Application tab.
4. Scroll down and disable In-game overlay.
5. Restart EA App and launch Sims 4 to check if the stuttering issue is gone.
4. Disable fullscreen optimizations
Time needed: 2 minutes
Sometimes Fullscreen Optimizations can cause game performance issues. Try to solve the Sims 4 stuttering problem as follows:
- Open Windows Explorer
Press the Win+E keys and navigate to the Sims 4 installation folder.
- Locate the Sims 4 executable file
Right-click on the TS4_x64.exe and select Properties.
- Disable fullscreen optimization
Go to the Compatibility tab and click the Disable fullscreen optimization checkbox. Then click on the Change high DPI settings.
- Change high DPI settings
Click the Change high DPI settings and select the Override high DPI scaling behavior checkbox. Choose the Application form drop-down menu.
- Save changes
Click on Apply and then OK to confirm and save changes. Run Sims 4 to make sure the stuttering is gone.
5. Optimize in-game settings
Another effective solution to address the issue of stuttering in games is optimizing the graphics settings within the game, which can provide a tangible improvement. Do the following:
1. Launch Sims 4 and go to the Game Options.
2. Select Graphics settings and adjust like in the picture below.
Extra steps
If you still have a stuttering issue in Sims 4, consider these options:
- Update Windows to the latest version.
- Update DirectX, .NET Framework, and VCRedist.
- Temporarily disable firewall and antivirus software.
- Change Power Mode in Windows to Best Performance (Right-Click on the Start and choose Power Options>Power Mode)
- Perform clean boot (Ctrl+Shift+Esc and Disable all unnecessary apps from Startup).
- Reinstall game.
Conclusion
We hope some of our tips will solve Sims 4 stuttering, and you can enjoy the game without any issues. However, if you still have problems, share them in the comments section.