The Sims 5 is on its way, and that makes many Sims fans wonder how much the game will actually cost. After years of speculating, we finally have more details about this.
On this page, we’ll answer questions like: How much will The Sims 5 (a.k.a. Project Rene) cost? Will the game be available for free? Will it be subscription-based? And how much will the different editions and expansion packs cost? Read on to learn more about these and other questions!
On this page:
How much will Sims 5 cost?
How much will The Sims 5’s base game really cost when it’s available? Sims fans have speculated about this for years.
In September 2023, Lyndsay Pearson (Vice President of Franchise Creative for The Sims at Maxis) finally shared some very interesting details about this during the Behind The Sims livestream. Pearson confirmed that The Sims 5 will be available for free! This means that when the base game is released, you can download it at no cost.
Some of you may wonder if this is really true and how it’s possible that the game won’t cost anything.
Electronic Arts and Maxis have changed how they do things. By offering the base game for free, they hope that Sims fans will purchase more expansion packs and in-game virtual items. Some may like this change in strategy, while others may not.
The Sims 5 will be available for free on all devices, including PC (Windows) and mobile devices (Android and iPhones). Even though it hasn’t been confirmed yet, the game can probably also be played on Mac (MacOS), PlayStation 5 (PS5), and Xbox Series X and Series S.
Will Sims 5 be available for free?
As mentioned earlier on this page, Lyndsay Pearson from Maxis confirmed that The Sims 5 will be free to download. This means that the base game will be free-to-play. Even though this may sound too good to be true, it’s definitely not a joke!
While the core game can be downloaded for free forever, most expansion packs will probably cost money.
By making the base game free, EA and Maxis hope that Simmers will buy more expansion packs and other downloadable content updates.
Will Sims 5 be subscription-based?
Some of you may be wondering whether or not a subscription will be needed to play the fifth generation of The Sims.
For those who are worried about this, there’s some good news!
You won’t need a subscription to play The Sims 5! This was confirmed by Lyndsay Pearson from Maxis during the Behind The Sims livestream of September 2023. In other words, you don’t have to pay a monthly fee to use the multiplayer or online mode.
As you may know, EA also has a subscription service called EA Play. The Sims 5 will probably be free for people with an active EA Play membership.
Will Sims 5 have microtransactions (in-game purchases)?
Discussions about possible microtransactions in The Sims 5 have been going on for a while. Microtransactions are optional in-game purchases for virtual goods using real money. It lets players buy extra items, gameplay, or features. Not surprisingly, Sims enthusiasts have mixed opinions about this.
Now that it’s clear that the base game of The Sims’ fifth generation can be downloaded for free, many Sims fans are concerned that the game will become a cash grab. Some fans worry that the gameplay will be very limited and that everything will cost money.
Even though it hasn’t been officially confirmed, the next iteration of The Sims will likely offer optional microtransactions. Although microtransactions don’t seem to cost much at first (each purchase usually costs between $1 and $5 USD), they can add up quickly, making the game’s total cost very high, especially after playing it for years.
For now, we have to wait for official details about this. We’ll keep you posted!
Will Sims 5 have a free trial or demo?
Now that we know that the next chapter of The Sims is on its way, many Sims fans wonder if there will be a trial or demo version of the game for PC, Mac, or console.
Looking back at The Sims 4, we know it had a free demo of Create A Sim (CAS). The Sims 3 also came with a full demo of the main game and a Create A Pet (CAP) demo. With these demos, players could see what the game had to offer before buying it.
Even though nothing has been confirmed about this (as of 2023), there is a good chance that there will be a demo or trial version of The Sims 5’s base game or Create A Sim.
Currently, EA and Maxis are organizing so-called playtesting sessions where a small group of Sims fans get access to an early-in-development version of the game. By doing this, EA and Maxis learn more about how players play the game and get feedback on how to make the game better.
Do you want to be part of the upcoming playtesting sessions? All you need to do is visit EA’s playtesting site, register, and log in to your EA account. Follow the instructions for a chance to be invited to one of the upcoming sessions.
We’ll share more information on this site as soon as we know more about possible demos or trials.
How much will the different editions of Sims 5 cost?
Besides the Standard Edition of The Sims 5’s core game, there will probably be a few other editions as well. Each version will come with different extras, such as in-game items.
Even though nothing is official yet, it’s confirmed that The Sims 5’s base game will be available for free. That probably means that other versions will also be available at no cost. Bundles, which include expansions, will probably not be free to download.
Other possible editions include a Limited Edition, Digital Deluxe Edition, Premium Edition, Collector’s Edition, Ultimate Collection, or Complete Collection. Some of you may remember some of these editions from The Sims 4.
How much will Sims 5 expansions (DLC) cost?
Even though The Sims 5’s base game will be available for free, it doesn’t mean that expansions will also be free.
In Behind The Sims episode 3 from September 2023, Lyndsay Pearson from Maxis mentioned that it will be possible to buy expansion packs and other content updates for The Sims 5.
These add-ons will have different themes and make the game more fun to play. Besides that, there may also be microtransactions.
So, how much will the different kinds of expansion packs cost? These are the estimated prices:
- Big expansion packs: $30 – $40 USD (€30 – €40)
- Game packs: $15 – $20 USD (€15 – €20)
- Stuff packs: $10 – $15 USD (€10 – €15)
- Kits: $5– $10 USD (€5 – €10)
- Microtransactions: $1– $5 USD (€1 – €5)
Where can I get Sims 5 games cheaply (in the future)?
Now that we know The Sims 5’s base game will be free to download, we also know that expansion packs won’t necessarily be.
As most Sims fans know, expansion packs can be pricey, especially if we look at the prices for The Sims 4 expansion packs.
Now the question is, where can you buy Sims 5 expansion packs cheaply?
These are some of the best options:
- CD key sites: Some of the cheapest places to buy Sims games are so-called CD key sites. These sites have big discounts all year long. Famous CD key stores are MMOGA, CDKeys, Instant Gaming, Gamivo, CJS CD Keys, SCDKEY, Allkeyshop, Eneba, G2A, HRKGame, and others. And the best part is that it’s completely legal. These sites will probably also sell The Sims 5 expansions in the future.
- Other online stores: Popular online stores like Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, and others will probably also sell The Sims 5 add-ons. They might occasionally have sales. The best time for finding good deals is around Easter, Back to School, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
- EA app: This is EA’s gaming platform where you can buy all Sims games. This isn’t always the most affordable option, but the app has sales from time to time. You might find the best deals around Easter, Back to School, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
- Steam: Steam, a third-party game platform, also offers Sims games. The Sims 5 expansions will probably also be available on this platform. Steam isn’t always the cheapest option, but they do offer discounts every now and then.
Be sure to follow SimsDownloads.net to find out where the biggest discounts and deals are. We’ll also share pre-order options on this site.