[Mac] SimCity and MacOS Catalina & Big Sur [ Edited ]

[BlackjackWidow]

Beginning with MacOS Catalina 10.15, Apple will no longer support 32-bit apps. 

SimCity is a 32-bit legacy game, and will not currently run on MacOS Catalina. If you purchased SimCity from the App Store, Aspyr currently plans to update SimCity to a 64-bit app. As far as we know, there are no plans by EA to change the SimCity app. If you purchased from EA and want to continue playing SimCity, you will want to do some planning before completing an update to Catalina.

EDIT: Update for January 7, 2020: Aspyr has updated their version of SimCity: Complete Edition to 64-bit. It is now compatible with Catalina.

There are a few choices for running SimCity on Catalina:

• Create a bootable external drive running macOS 10.14 Mojave or earlier
• Install a virtual machine running macOS 10.14 Mojave or earlier
• Boot camp your Mac and run SimCity in Windows (your EA purchased games allow you to run either Mac or PC versions)

Be aware, if you're installing an earlier MacOS: 

Mojave 10.14.4 had reports of problems using HD and UHD resolutions. See This Thread for more info & how to force resolution in Advanced Game Options

High Sierra 10.13 had multiple reports of problems crashing SimCity. See This Thread for more info

If you have already upgraded to Catalina, you could also consider restoring to an earlier MacOS version or purchase the 64-bit SimCity application from the App Store. If you choose to purchase from the app store, be aware that you will no longer have access to any regions or cities on the EA servers. The Aspyr version is single player / offline use only.

For more information, @Bluebellflora has written detailed instructions on how to accomplish each of the above solutions.

Running 32-bit apps after macOS Mojave

EDIT: As of Dec 21, 2019 Aspyr has listed their SimCity:Complete Edition version 1.0.3 as being 64-bit. Be aware that EA does not support the Mac App Store version. The App Store version is single player only. There is no access to multiplayer or any regions on the EA servers. 

[BlackjackWidow · Accepted solution]

Apple dropped support for 32-bit games like SimCity, beginning with MacOS Catalina 10.15.

There is more information in This Post, including some options for running 32-bit games after upgrading to Catalina. See this blog for detailed info.

Aspyr has updated their version of SimCity:Complete Edition to 64-bit and it is now compatible with Catalina. If you choose to purchase the App Store version, be aware you will no longer have access to any regions or cities on the EA servers. The App Store version by Aspyr is single player / offline use only. 

EDIT: In July 2021, Aspyr released an update for their Mac App Store version of SimCity:Complete Edition. This update addresses crashes for M1 devices and Big Sur.

Please contact Aspyr if you are still experiencing issues after installing the latest patch.

If you recently purchased SimCity, and none of the above options appeal to you, you may wish to check out the Great Game Guarantee.

[TanyaGosney]

@BlackjackWidow I have the same problem this sux you know you pay for a game and then they don't update it they should give money back

[BlackjackWidow]

@TanyaGosney - I know it's frustrating when a game becomes a "legacy game" and is not developed any further. The reality is that games have a life cycle, and as operating systems change and development teams are no longer involved, eventually they aren't supported or updated for the newer systems. At this point, I'm just glad they still keep the servers open and let us play the game on older systems.

If you just purchased the game and found out that it won't work on your Mac, you may be able to take advantage of the Great Game Guarantee. If that doesn't apply, you can always click the "Contact Us" button on the bottom of the page to discuss the issue with EA Customer Service.

If you've been playing for a while, I've listed some workarounds in the first post that could help you to continue playing. I hope one of those can work for you. Unfortunately, at this point, there's not much more we can do.  

[kirbyzhou]

@TanyaGosney
I agree with you, No update, get money back!

[pappalicious]

---

@BlackjackWidow wrote:

Beginning with MacOS Catalina 10.15, Apple will no longer support 32-bit apps. 

SimCity is a 32-bit legacy game, and will not currently run on MacOS Catalina. If you purchased SimCity from the App Store, Aspyr currently plans to update SimCity to a 64-bit app. As far as we know, there are no plans by EA to change the SimCity app.

that means if you bought the game from ea you're out of luck, but if you bought it from the App Store you copy will continue to function as advertised.. and somehow ea thinks thats ok. 

I understand the game was released in 2013, however its not my (our) fault you forgot about us 2months after release. 

we've always been here for the long run, willing to buy whatever new and exciting additions you came up with. we followed our end of the bargain. 

you didnt. 

let aspyr finish their work on the 64bit update and push it out through origin too. it'll go a long way in cleaning up this hit show.

[kirbyzhou]

@pappalicious
ASPYR just finished their Civ5 catalina patch nowadays, we can expect the SimCity patch.

[brenisme]

@TanyaGosney I'm with you they should update the game so you can play the game you paid for

[TerrorOfDaNight]

I also just updated my Origin app and was looking forward to playing Sim City over the holidays, only to discover it is no longer playable since Mac OS X Catalina was installed. Quite disappointing. I expected an EA game to be playable for a longer period than this.

[otakupenpen]

I just bought SimCity on Origin
I wish there was a disclaimer about the new OS system not working
I would have save my money instead bying a game I can't play..

[BlackjackWidow]

@otakupenpen - I agree that it should be more clear. The system requirements do not list Catalina as being supported, but with older games sometimes we (as consumers) assume they're workable for later versions as well. The bottom line is that any games that are 32-bit will not work on Catalina. With Apple dropping its support for all 32 bit games, you'll want to look for that info on any programs or games before you purchase again.

Since you just bought the game on Origin, check out the Great Game Guarantee policy to see if you can return.