Do you want to download The Sims 5 or expansion packs for Mac? If so, you’ve arrived at the right place. On this page, you will find everything you need to know about the next installment of The Sims.

When is The Sims 5 coming to Mac? How can you download the game? How much does it cost, and where can you buy it? Will it be available for free? And will there be a demo or trial version? Below are all the answers to these and other questions!

On this page:

Can I download Sims 5 for Mac yet? When is the release date?

Right now, you can’t download The Sims 5 yet. That’s because the game hasn’t been released yet. However, there’s some good news. Electronic Arts and Maxis have already announced the game. But when is it actually coming? Unfortunately, the release date has not yet been confirmed.

In October 2022, Lyndsay Pearson (Vice President of Franchise Creative for The Sims at Maxis) confirmed that the release of The Sims 5 is still “a couple of years away”.

Because of this, we are not expecting the game to be released in 2023. It is more likely that the game will come in 2024 or 2025. The release date may also vary depending on the market. Sometimes North America (the US + Canada) is the first region where new video games are released, followed by the UK, other European countries, Australia, and other countries.

The Sims 4 was launched in 2013, which is almost a decade ago. The fourth generation is long overdue, so it probably won’t be long before the next version is available on Mac.

As The Sims 5 is currently under development and EA and Maxis keep teasing more about the game, we’re expecting more details about the release date in 2023.

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Is Sims 5 coming to Mac at all?

Many Simmers are wondering whether or not The Sims 5 will be released on Mac devices such as the MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, or iMac.

The truth is that neither EA nor Maxis have officially confirmed this, but the likelihood is very high!

In January 2023, Grant Rodiek (Game Director for Project Rene, which is the working title for The Sims 5) confirmed that the fifth generation will be coming to PC and mobile, but he didn’t mention Mac specifically yet.

However, The Sims 3 and The Sims 4 were also released on MacOS, so it’s very likely that The Sims 5 will be coming to Mac as well!

Rodiek also confirmed that The Sims 5 will become a so-called cross-platform game. This means you can simultaneously play the game on several devices, for example, on PC and mobile. Mac will probably be added to this list as well.

As The Sims 5 can be played on mobile, we’re expecting it to come out for the iPhone as well. Because of that, we can also imagine that the game can be played on iPads. But we just need to wait for official details on this.

Are you excited about the cross-platform capabilities?

As of 2023, EA and Maxis still haven’t said anything about when the next iteration will be available. However, Rodiek mentioned that it is “Years out”. This indicates that the release of The Sims 5 is still several years away.

In 2022, EA and Maxis started inviting a small group of Sims fans to so-called “playtesting” sessions. This is where they get to play and test an early-in-development version of The Sims 5.

We’ll share more information on our site as soon as The Sims 5 for Mac is available for pre-order.

Which editions of Sims 5 for Mac can we expect?

The Sims 5’s base game will probably come in different versions, as was always the case with earlier The Sims generations.

But what versions can we expect for Mac? Even though we haven’t had any official information about this, we definitely expect a few special editions with extra content to come out.

The Sims 5’s predecessor, The Sims 4, also came in many different versions. Besides the Standard Edition, there was a Limited Edition, Premium Edition, Digital Deluxe Edition, and even a Collector’s Edition. Each version had extra content that was different from the others.

Aside from these editions, we’re also expecting bundles to come out for The Sims 5, similar to The Sims 4’s bundles. Bundles usually include base games combined with a number of expansion packs.

Where can I purchase Sims 5 for Mac?

At the moment (2023), you can’t download The Sims 5 for Mac yet. However, once the game is out, you’ll be able to purchase it on various sites and game platforms.

As you may expect, The Sims 5 will be available to purchase through the EA app (which was called Origin before). Besides that, it may also become available through EA Play. This is EA’s own subscription service.

In addition to that, we’re also expecting the fifth generation to appear on other third-party platforms like Steam and Amazon, where you can also purchase it.

Besides that, The Sims 5 may also become available on CD key sites such as MMOGA, CDKeys, Instant Gaming, Gamivo, CJS CD Keys, SCDKEY, Allkeyshop, Eneba, G2A, HRKGame, and others.

Some of you may have seen that Instant Gaming has a page that claims that “The Sims 5 is currently scheduled for 2023”. EA and Maxis have not yet confirmed this! A release in 2023 seems very unlikely.

When it’s possible to pre-order the fifth generation from legitimate sources, we will share more information on this site.

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Where can I download Sims 5 for Mac?

It’s currently (2023) not possible to download The Sims 5 for Mac yet. However, once the game is out, you’ll be able to download it on different platforms.

So, what are the best places to download The Sims 5?

Firstly, once the game is available, you can download the game via the EA app. This is EA’s own platform for digital games. Besides that, the game may also be added to EA Play, which is EA’s subscription service for games. But there will probably be more options!

The game will probably also be available through other distribution platforms, including Steam.

Within the EA app and Steam, you can redeem your activation code (sometimes called a license key or serial code). After that, you can download, install, and play the game.

Please be aware that there are sites and software tools offering fake game cracks and Torrents, for example, on uTorrent or The Pirate Bay. Be cautious because these downloads may infect your computer with viruses or malicious software. Currently, The Sims 5 isn’t even available yet. Downloading content from unauthorized and unofficial sources can definitely be risky!

How can I download Sims 5 for Mac?

How can you actually download The Sims 5 for Mac? There’s some bad and good news about this.

The bad news is that the game isn’t available yet at this moment (2023). The good news is that the game has already been announced and that it’s currently under development, so it’s actually coming soon! A Mac version is likely on its way as well. Once The Sims 5 is available, you can download it as a digital download.

So, how can you download the fifth generation on Mac once it’s available? Even though the game isn’t yet available at this moment, we can already share some details about it. Here’s a quick guide:

The Sims 5 will definitely be available on the EA app (which was called Origin before). Within the EA app, you can search for The Sims 5 using the search bar or the menu. From there, you can redeem your activation code and activate the game. Once that’s done, you can go ahead and download it. It might take some time for the download to complete, but when that’s done, you can install and play the latest Sims generation using the EA app. 

The Sims 5 may also be coming to Steam. However, even when you use Steam, you’ll still need the EA app to run the game.

Once the fifth generation is available, we’ll definitely share more detailed instructions and download options here. We will also include expansion packs in the instructions.

Can I download Sims 5 for Mac without the EA app?

Once The Sims 5 is available for Mac, the only way to download the game without using the EA app is to use Steam. However, even when you use Steam to download the game, it still requires the EA app to run the game.

Due to this, it is unfortunately not possible to play the fifth generation without the EA app.

What about the Sims 5 expansion packs for Mac?

At this moment (2023), there are no expansion packs for The Sims 5 for Mac available yet. The first expansions (also known as DLC) will probably arrive shortly after the base game’s release. The base game’s release date has yet to be announced.

Besides big expansion packs, we may also be getting some smaller packs, similar to game packs, stuff packs, and kits in The Sims 4. It’s also possible that the game will include microtransactions. However, this hasn’t been confirmed yet.

Some of you might be curious about what The Sims 5 expansion pack themes we can expect. It’s quite certain that popular themes such as pets, seasons, universities, world adventures, city life, generations, and ambitions will make a comeback.

It will probably also be possible to buy expansion packs from various third-party platforms besides the EA app (which was called Origin before) and EA Play (EA’s subscription service). These third-party platforms include Amazon, Steam, CD key sites, and other platforms.

These days, it’s less common to find expansion packs in physical form. As a result, EA is also moving away from physical games. This is already evident given that hardly any of The Sims 4’s expansion packs were released in physical form. Because of that, we think EA will only make expansions available as digital downloads.

What about bundles? We’re expecting that there will be downloadable bundles for The Sims 5 on Mac. These bundles will include the base game combined with several expansion packs.

What about Sims 5’s cross-platform compatibility?

Many Simmers have asked for cross-platform capabilities in The Sims. The good news is that it’s finally coming to The Sims 5!

What does cross-platform compatibility actually mean? It means that you can play the game on different platforms simultaneously.

In February 2020, EA’s CEO Andrew Wilson, talked about the possibility of having cross-platform capabilities in The Sims 5 for the first time.

This is what Wilson had to say about it:

“As Maxis continues to think about The Sims for a new generation – across platforms and a cloud-enabled world, you should imagine while we will always stay true to our inspiration, escape, creation, self-improvement, motivations – that this notion of social interactions and competition like the kind of things that were actually present in The Sims Online many, many years ago – that they will start to become part of ongoing Sims experience in the years to come.”

– Andrew Wilson, CEO of Electronic Arts

These words by Wilson caused a lot of uproar in the Sims community. Some Simmers were strongly against this idea, while others loved it.

More recently, in January 2023, Grant Rodiek (Game Director for Project Rene, which is The Sims 5’s working title) officially confirmed that The Sims 5 will become a cross-platform game. Rodiek quickly talked about this during the The Sims Summit.

Rodiek also confirmed that the next installment can be played on both PC and mobile at the same time. He didn’t mention anything about Mac specifically, but it’s very likely that Mac devices will also be supported. Besides that, we’re also expecting other platforms to be added to the list, including PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.

The development of cross-platform compatibility is definitely a big challenge for the team working on The Sims 5. Rodiek explains:

“This is a huge challenge. But the thing that excites us so much is that we can basically remove the barriers to play for The Sims. So, what we mean by this is that you can have that deep dive at home, on your PC, play for 4 hours, change every single thing about a piece of furniture that you can imagine, type in RGB values, and changing every single part. That’s the PC experience. That’s the true rich experience you’re used to.

But then, on the go, you can grab your phone and maybe it’s a different experience. Maybe you’re grabbing archetypes, pre-selecting templates or maybe grabbing the stuff you’ve already created. What this means is that you can now play The Sims, wherever you are, without barriers and restrictions. We think that’s really powerful and really exciting!”

– Grant Rodiek, Game Director for The Sims 5 at Electronic Arts

Will Mac devices support Sims 5 and its expansions?

Can The Sims 5 be played on Mac at all? And which Mac devices will be able to run the game smoothly?

Generally speaking, most of Apple’s new computers with high specs, like MacBooks and iMacs, should be able to run the game pretty smoothly. This includes the most recent MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and iMac models.

However, it’s important to keep in mind that the minimum system requirements have yet to be announced, but we can already guess what they will look like.

Since The Sims 5 will be a cross-platform game that will work well on mobile, we expect that the latest iPhones and maybe even iPads will support the game as well.

We assume that any MacBook or iMac with the following specs should be able to run The Sims 5 games relatively smoothly: Mac OSX 12 (Monterey) or newer, Intel Core i5 or better, M2 chip, M2 Pro chip, or M2 Pro Max chip, 8 GB RAM or more.

You can find out more about the minimum requirements at the bottom of this page. We strongly suggest waiting until the official specs are out before buying a new Mac laptop or desktop computer.

Will it be possible to download Sims 5 and its expansions for free on Mac?

Since the end of 2022, you can get The Sims 4 for free. Because of this, many Simmers are wondering if the fifth generation will also be available for free.

Even though nothing has been confirmed yet, it’s unlikely that The Sims 5’s base game for Mac will be free in the first few years after it comes out, at least not legally. Why do we think that?

The main reason is that EA and Maxis need to make money. Giving the game away for free in the first few years won’t help them reach this goal, especially since there are no add-ons yet.

Expansion packs will probably not be available for free during the first few years after their release, either.

There have also been rumors about possible microtransactions in The Sims 5, but this hasn’t been confirmed yet. With microtransactions, you can pay a small amount of money to buy items or features inside the game.

How much will it cost to download Sims 5 and expansions on Mac?

Although official pricing details for The Sims 5 haven’t been revealed yet, we can already share some interesting details about how much the base game and expansion packs will probably cost.

The prices below are based on The Sims 4’s launch price and expansion pack prices. The fifth generation’s base game and expansions will likely have a similar price structure.

Let’s look into this a little more!

Base game pricing details

The standard version of The Sims 5’s base game is expected to cost somewhere between $40 – $60 USD (or €40 – €60) after its release, based on previous The Sims games. Other editions of the base game will probably cost a little bit more.

Here is a rough estimate of how much the different editions may cost:

  • Base game (standard edition): $40 – $60 USD (€40 – €60 euros)
  • Base game (other editions): $60 – $100 USD (€60 – €100 euros)

Expansion packs pricing details

The cost of expansion packs depends on the content that comes with them. Add-ons are usually a bit cheaper compared to base games, ranging from $15 to $40 USD (which equals approximately €15 – €40). Currently, we don’t exactly know what different types of packs will be brought out, so take this with a grain of salt.

This is an indication of what the different types of packs may cost:

  • Big expansion packs: $30 – $40 USD (€30 – €40 euros)
  • Game packs: $15 – $20 USD (€15 – €20 euros)
  • Stuff packs: $10 – $15 USD (€10 – €15 euros)
  • Kits: $5– $10 USD (€5 – €10 euros)

It’s good to know that the prices listed above are estimates. Games usually become cheaper over time. Discounts and sales happen regularly. If you’re on a tight budget, it might be a good idea to wait a little so that the games become more affordable.

Where can I find discounts or sales on Sims 5 and expansions for Mac?

At this moment (2023), it’s not yet possible to buy The Sims 5 games. Once they hit the market, there will be regular sales.

Sims games typically become a bit cheaper around holidays like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas, Easter, Back to School, Thanksgiving, and other special days.

During these holidays, you can profit from big discounts on base games and expansion packs.

You may also find discounts within the EA app and on third-party sites like Steam, Amazon, and CD key sites.

Once The Sims 5 is available to purchase, we’ll share the best deals on this site.

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Will there be a demo or trial version for Sims 5 on Mac?

What about a demo or trial version of The Sims 5 on Mac? Even though EA and Maxis haven’t confirmed anything about this yet, it’s very likely that there will be a trial or demo of the game before or after its release.

When looking at the generations that came before The Sims 5, we can see that The Sims 4 also had a Create A Sim (CAS) demo. The Sims 3 even had a full demo of the base game and a demo of Create a Pet (CAP).

For this reason, we’re also expecting a trial, demo, or beta version for the next chapter of The Sims. As soon as we have more details, we’ll share them on this site.

What are the recommended system requirements for Sims 5 on Mac?

Before buying an entirely new game, it’s always good to check if your current or future Mac laptop or desktop computer can actually run the game smoothly. 

We’re still awaiting the official announcement of the system requirements. Still, based on the minimum requirements for The Sims 4, we can already estimate what the specifications for The Sims 5 will look like.

You’ll probably be in a good position if your computer meets the minimum system requirements below.

If that’s not the case, it may perhaps be a good idea to upgrade to a new MacBook or iMac device.

However, we do suggest waiting until EA and Maxis have revealed the final specs.

Minimum system requirements:

  • OS: Mac OSX 12 (Monterey) or later.
  • CPU: Intel Core i5 or better.
  • VIDEO CARD: M2 chip, M2 Pro chip, M2 Max chip, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 or better.
  • RAM: 8 GB RAM or more.
  • HARD DRIVE: At least 30 to 50 GB of free disk storage space.
  • ONLINE REQUIREMENTS: Internet connection required for product activation and using in-game online features.

Get notified when Sims 5 is available for Mac

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