[Mac] Mojave - Cursor & Display Resolution Problems [ Edited ]

[BlackjackWidow]

Since April 2019, some Mac users have reported problems playing SimCity. Symptoms include:

• Mouse cursor accuracy off - have to place the cursor above or below the intended target before being able to select
• Native Display resolution not available in settings
• Inability to play in full screen mode 

This appears to have happened due to the Mojave 14.4 update. Prior OS versions did not experience this problem, so Apple must have changed something in this update that has caused these issues to appear. EA is currently working with Apple on this issue. In the meantime, this thread has been created to gather information on which systems are affected. I will keep this post updated with any workarounds or fixes. 

Some users have reported these workarounds help with cursor accuracy and display resolution:

• Start the game in windowed mode: In Origin, right-click the SimCity icon and choose "Game Properties" > click the "Advanced Launch Options" tab > type "-w" (without the quotation marks) in the "Command Line Arguments" box. Launch SimCity and go to the Settings menu (upper right three dots). Choose the correct resolution for your screen in the graphics settings. 
• Launch in windowed mode and force a lower resolution via command line: In Origin, right-click the SimCity icon and choose "Game Properties" > click the "Advanced Launch Options" tab > type "-w -r:1600x900" (without the quotation marks) in the "Command Line Arguments" box. Note: Use a resolution that your display supports. You can test which resolutions work best for you. Some examples:  -r:1600x900  -r:1024x768 -r:1920x1080
• Adjust Display settings to get a better experience in windowed mode: System preferences > Display > select Scaled, choose one of the options that makes the window bigger (thanks @12345iseeu for the suggestion)
• Launch full screen forcing the display resolution via command line: In Origin, right-click the SimCity icon and choose "Game Properties" > click the "Advanced Launch Options" tab > type "-r:1920x1080" (without the quotation marks) in the "Command Line Arguments" box. Match the resolution to the current display settings on your monitor, using the format "-r:HHHHxRRRR" For instance, -r:2560x1440  -r:1920x1080  -r:1600x900

If you are experiencing these problems on a Mac, please post the information requested below, and click the Me Too button on this post.

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@Bluebellflora wrote:

Could you clarify a couple of things for me to see whether I can help as a fellow Mac user:

1. Please can you provide more information about your Mac. Instructions on how to do so here - http://answers.ea.com/t5/The-Sims-Mac/READ-FIRST-Sims-4-Mac-Help-Guides-and-Troubleshooting/m-p/4612...
2. Which version of the game are you playing? Purchased from EA through Origin or from Aspyr through the App Store? I have both versions installed so can test whichever one you are using. I also have access to a Thunderbolt Display so can check on a second display.

[cobrien79 · Accepted solution]

@BlackjackWidow This worked! I changed to "-r:2560x1440" as per below, so thank you very much!

All I had to do was copy and paste "-r:2560x1440" in Advanced Launch Options and it worked straight away!

Thanks so much!

[weinertwein]

Hey,

I just updated macOS to 10.14.4 and started Simcity which worked fine.

Now I have a strange problem I never expierienced on the macOS version before.

The cursor is less accurate. It start's in the ingame homescreen. I can't correctly navigate to my city because the cursor is not accurate. I have to press like 5cm above the button to acutally press the button. Sadly thats also the case during the game, so I can't build new houses and stuff, I don't even get to the right menu. It's really sad.

Restarting the Mac did not help. Guess that's an game issue.

[BlackjackWidow]

Hi @weinertwein - I don't know much about Macs, so I did a search for this problem. I found a couple of similar problems for different games, so let's see if this fix works for your Mac.

First: Launch SimCity in windowed mode. In Origin, right-click the SimCity icon and choose "Game Properties" > click the "Advanced Launch Options" tab > type "-w" (without the quotation marks) in the "Command Line Arguments" box. Launch SimCity and go to the Settings menu (upper right three dots) and choose the correct resolution for your screen in the graphics settings. Then launch your city and see if it works. If it does, you can change in the settings menu to play in full-screen windowed mode.

Please reply back and let us know if this works.  Happy Building!

[Scuba_Stevo72]

Yay - finally a solution for this issue which started yesterday for me. Multiple hours and multiple different ways of trying to make it happen. -W factor was really the key in then being able to do other things as I couldn't get my mouse to work (timing wasn't great as also just purchased new mouse and keyboard and spent an hour or two thinking it was just them impacting). 

Thanks heaps, absolute legend......now if I can just get my screen settings right now so that my normal non-game screen looks great still without impacting the full-screen of simcity.

Cheers, again, absolute legend.

[Scuba_Stevo72]

Hmmm, now bit confused though. I have a Thunderbolt Display with 16:9 format at 2560x1440 but SimCity doesn't have such but have chosen 1600x900 and works fine within a window. As soon as I elect Full Screen option can't even find where the cursor is relative to the actual buttons (thankfully it resets after about 5 seconds so get to try again....non full screen just isn't right and sucky to have to change my actual monitor settings down to 1600x900 each time just to play) - It all just worked fine yesterday!! For now though, main screen resolution drop each time will have to do.

[Scuba_Stevo72]

OK - Update from me.....simply impossible to play full screen anymore. If i put Mac settings to 1600x900 and then SC to 1600x900 but not full screen, all looks good (excluding the top mac nav bar obviously since not full screen). Click the Full Screen option within SC settings and it goes totally out of whack and cursor no where near buttons and resolution is super zoomed in - WTF!). OK, so just play in Window format I guess.....but no, as soon as you enter a city the top edge of screen that is allocated to the mac nav menu now is what is missing off the bottom of the SC game and as such, can't see zone buttons etc. So my solution for the day is set Mac screen to 2048x1152 and play SC in Window at 1600x900 and simply not enjoy full screen like I was able to two days ago...stupid updates that screw other things up.

[BlackjackWidow]

Hi @Scuba_Stevo72  - Thank you so much for keeping us updated. So happy we got the windowed screen to work, at least for a bit. I can tell you for sure that SimCity does not like ultra-HD settings, PCs also have this problem (game was built when HD 1920 x 1080 settings were the highest you could get). Also doesn't play well with most multi-display settings. You could check to make sure your display settings on the Mac don't have any multi-display settings enabled even if you don't have dual monitors. Sometimes PCs will default on install to double monitor settings for some reason - doesn't make a difference for the computer, but the game has trouble recognizing something.

Do you have an option in SimCity settings to choose 1920 x 1080 resolution? If you can choose that resolution, then check the box underneath that says "full screen" you should be able to run in full-screen windowed mode at those settings. If it looks good like that, you *should* be able to remove the "-w" from the startup options and have it start up at HD resolution and full screen. 

Having said all of that, do you have any issues on the computer with the new mouse or keyboard? Doesn't seem like it should impact it, but as you said before - updates and new stuff can screw up in all sorts of ways.

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 There was one more tip I found that was related to a different game and different OS version, but helped some users. I have no idea why this would have an impact, kind of a shot in the dark, but I don't think it would hurt to try. Go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy > Accessibility and check SimCity. If this helps, I would be very interested to know it lol.

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I'm asking around with the helpers to see if there's a Mac expert who may have an idea on what to try. I will get back with any other ideas.

[Bluebellflora]

@Scuba_Stevo72 

I've split your issue into a separate post as the cursor issue is very specific, as is your display issues

@BlackjackWidow knows the game way better than me although I do have it installed on my Mac. Could you clarify a couple of things for me to see whether I can help as a fellow Mac user:

1. Please can you provide more information about your Mac. Instructions on how to do so here - http://answers.ea.com/t5/The-Sims-Mac/READ-FIRST-Sims-4-Mac-Help-Guides-and-Troubleshooting/m-p/4612...
2. Which version of the game are you playing? Purchased from EA through Origin or from Aspyr through the App Store? I have both versions installed so can test whichever one you are using. I also have access to a Thunderbolt Display so can check on a second display.

[Bluebellflora]

@weinertwein

Did you manage to fix the issue?

[SimQARobo]

Hello @weinertwein 

We'll look into this and contact Apple if needed.  In the meantime, BlackjackWidow has some good suggestions in this thread  .