The Sims 4 is one of the most popular people simulators of its time, and with the recent release of the Infant Update, many players have returned to create their fantasy dream lives. However, a large number of players are reporting issues with even launching the game, where nothing happens when the game would normally pop up. If you’re having trouble getting The Sims 4 to open, we’ve got some fixes for the most common issues below.
Related: The Sims 4 Infants Update: All Confirmed Items and Features
How to Fix The Sims 4 Not Opening – Common Issues and Fixes
When it comes to PC gaming, there are many reasons why software of all types could act screwy. If The Sims 4 just won’t start up after you’ve tried to launch it, try some of the troubleshooting methods below for a possible fix:
Repair The Sims 4 Game Files
- Open Origin and click My Games
- Locate The Sims 4 and right-click it, then click Repair
- Follow the instructions to repair any corrupt and/or missing game files.
Update your GPU Drivers
Faulty and/or outdated video drivers always have a chance to disagree with games, especially when said games receive large updates. Depending on your GPU’s manufacturer, use your GPU software (GeForce Experience for Nvidia, Adrenalin for AMD) to download the latest update for your video card. If you don’t use your GPU’s software, you can manually download the newest drivers from the respective website.
Delete Origin Cache Files
Locate the Origin cache files and delete them. You’ll find them at the following locations:
- C:Users<username>AppDataLocal
- C:Users<username>AppDataRoaming
If you don’t see those folders, you may have to enable Show hidden files through Windows. To do so,
- Type folder in your Windows search bar and click File Explorer Options
- Click the View tab
- Check the box next to Show hidden files, folders, and drives
- Click Apply
Remove Problematic Mods
Especially with big updates, sometimes older mod files can create conflicts with newer game files. As such, you should isolate your mods folder and attempt to figure out which mods are no longer supported.
Start by moving your mods folder to your desktop and launching the game. If the game launches, you can bet that one of your mods is causing issues.
Try moving a few mods at a time back to the original game folder and launching the game again. If it works, close the game, move a few more mods over, and repeat. Keep doing this process, keeping track of which mods you’re moving, until you can start the game. Hopefully, you can identify problematic mods and delete them.
Related: How to Fix EA App Not Showing Games
For more information on The Sims 4, check out our other guides and tips here at Prima Games.
