The Sims: Legacy Edition troubleshooting and common errors

Make sure your PC is ready to play The Sims: Legacy Edition:

• check your PC meets the minimum requirements
• update graphics and audio drivers to the latest versions
• remove old The Sims files
• check you have enough hard drive space available.

Vulkan is used by The Sims to provide a robust graphics system that allows the game to be more compatible with current and future operating systems.

If you’re seeing the Failed to find a suitable Vulkan Device error it’s usually because your PC either has an outdated graphics driver or is incompatible with the Vulkan processing package. Try the following troubleshooting options:

• Check the website for your Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) to make sure your driver is the most current version.
  • Open the Check for Updates dialog and check the optional Windows updates to see if any updates are available for your GPU.
• Check your GPU vendor’s website (eg; NVIDIA, Intel, AMD) for troubleshooting and compatibility info between your GPU and Vulkan.
• Try removing or uninstalling the OpenCL™, OpenGL®, and Vulkan® Compatibility Pack applications
• For some systems like NVIDIA with AMD Radeon GPUS, disabling graphics switching can fix the issue.

This error usually happens when there’s a conflict between existing save files from a past installation. To fix it, you’ll need to remove these old files and do a fresh install.

• Open the Electronic Arts folder.
• Select The Sims 25 folder.
• Remove this folder from the Electronic Arts folder.
• Reinstall the game.

Graphic blurring or tearing

This usually happens when your hardware doesn’t meet the minimum system requirements. Check your PC meets The Sims: Legacy Edition minimum requirements and that your running the most recent GPU drivers.

Enable the help system

Keep seeing the Enable the help system pop-up each time you return to a Lot? Complete the tutorial to get rid of this pop-up.

Game launching with error message

If your game keeps launching with an error message try the following options:

1. Uninstall your 2015 and newer Microsoft VC++ runtime.
2. Reinstall your 2015 and newer Microsoft VC++ runtime.
   • Open Windows Settings > Apps.
   • Find Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributables and uninstall everything from 2015 and later.
   • Download the x86 and x64 versions (not the ARM version) of the 2022 runtimes from Microsoft.
   • Install the runtimes and restart your computer.
3. Relaunch The Sims: Legacy Edition

Music only plays in Live mode

• Check your PC’s sound options to make sure everything is properly configured. For example, on a 5.1 surround system check that the center speaker is functioning.
• Check your PC’s sound drivers are up to date.
• Check your Windows sound control panel.

Crashing when moving the game window

If The Sims is crashing when you try to move the game window to a different monitor you’ll need to use the command line prompts option -monitor:<num> to force it to launch on the other monitor. Input 0 (zero) to launch on your

primary monitor, and 1 to launch on your secondary monitor.

How to use command line options on the EA app:

1. Open the Installed Games menu and find The Sims: Legacy Edition.
2. Select Manage.
3. Select View Properties.
4. Type the command in the Advance Launch Options box.

How to use command line options on Steam:

1. Open your Games Library.
2. Right-click The Sims: Legacy Collection.
3. Select Properties.
4. Type the desired command in the box under Launch Options.

Available command prompt options

• -w
  • This enables windowed mode. On resolutions less than 1200 pixels high the window is the same size as fullscreen, but the title bar is visible for dragging, minimizing etc. On Quad High Definition (QHD), Ultra High Definition (UHD) etc, a smaller window is presented. Selecting Alt+Enter at any time can toggle between fullscreen and windowed modes during gameplay.
    
    

• -monitor:<num>
  • Select a monitor to use. 0 (default) uses your primary monitor, 1 selects your secondary monitor. Using this will optimize the game canvas size for the monitor you want to use.
    
    

• -dpi:<num>
  • For resolutions at 1200 pixels high and above (QHD, WQHD, UHD) multiple Dots Per Inch (DPI) choices are available. Default is the highest available. Select a lower number (e.g. 1) for a smaller interface and rendering, but a larger play area.

• Head over to EA Forums to look for a fix.
• Keep an eye on @EAHelp, @TheSimsDirect, and @TheSims for everything from outage info to game news.