The Sims 4's latest update is now live and it adds a number of inclusive items to the life sim, including new options for trans people as well as those with disabilities.
Revealed shortly after the Behind The Sims community stream yesterday - which gave a small update on Project Rene (aka The Sims 5) - EA and developer Maxis unveiled another base game update for The Sims 4 that includes new assets which mainly focus on making the game more inclusive for both trans people and people with disabilities. Oh, it also adds a light switch to the game.
A base game update is here with new content including medical wearables, binders, shapewear, a light switch & more including bug fixes & console gameplay improvements 🥳💚Read more about today’s update in the latest patch notes! https://t.co/4c4vZdfWBY pic.twitter.com/GYbQYijIImJanuary 31, 2023
As detailed in this official blog post, Sims 4 players now have access to a range of new options when customizing their Sims. Two new medical wearables have been added to the 'Body and Face Accessories' section of the Create a Sim menu, including hearing aids - which come in fifteen color variants and can be assigned to either the Sims' left, right, or both ears - and glucose monitors which are also able to be assigned to Sims' left or right arms as well as either side of their lower abdomen.
This update has also added a number of customization options that are trans-inclusive. This includes the 'Body' category option of a top surgery scar for teen and older male Sims (both masculine or feminine frame), as well as binders and shapewear - both of which can be found in the Create a Sim menu under the 'Tops' and 'Underwear' categories.
Lastly, this update also brought more realism to the game by adding an 'unswitchable' light switch which is available in Build Mode. We're not exactly sure why Maxis chose to throw this random household item in with all the other new additions but it's a welcome one regardless.
The Sims community is overjoyed with the new items and customization options, with many praising Maxis for this step in the right direction. Several users have made posts in the Sims subreddit about the medical wearables in particular. As one user shared: "As a type 1 diabetic, I’m so excited to see continuous glucose monitors in the game," another had a similar reaction to the hearing aids in the game adding: "Finally - some deaf rep! Not the type of hearing aids I have, but still a big step forward!" along with a photo of themselves and their Sim wearing hearing aids.
as_a_type_1_diabetic_im_so_excited_to_see from r/thesims
It's a similar story over on Twitter, with several fans praising EA and Maxis in the replies to the tweet above. "Binders, top surgery scars, hearing aids, and glucose monitors? This is the best update since we could have feminine clothing on masculine frame and vice versa," one Twitter user said. "Love the new medical wearables. This means a lot to us disabled simmers. More of this please!", another replied.
We've still got a while to wait for The Sims 5, in the meantime find out ways to spice up your Sims' lives with our Sims 4 cheats guide.
