November 2021
Hi guys,
As I am running out of space on my 2018 MacBook Air and can no longer update my OS, I would like to re-install my Sims 4 game and data onto an external hard drive to make room on my Mac. I have been researching the topic of gaming off an external hard drive, where it is recommended to have a 5400rpm+ drive, with a minimum of 6gb cache for a smooth game. As I am playing on a Mac, with only USB-C (USB 3.1), I have been struggling to find a hard drive that fits this criteria. Can I play the Sims 4 off an external hard drive with USB 3.0, mac compatible, by using an additional connection piece to USB-C? Has anyone does this before? Or have a 1TB hard drive they can recommend for under $100? *I wouldn't need more than 1TB as I am only using the drive for Sims 4 & I know a USB Stick would not be able to handle it.
I'm not very tech-smart and I don't want to buy a cheap, poor quality hard drive.
Please help!
Solved! Go to Solution.
November 2021
Can't you buy a USB-C drive? Something like this. A USB stick can handle it fine. It just needs to be minimum 128GB storage. You really don't need 1TB. The advantage of USB sticks is they are small and flash memory rather than spinning HD, like the 5400 you suggested.
November 2021
Can't you buy a USB-C drive? Something like this. A USB stick can handle it fine. It just needs to be minimum 128GB storage. You really don't need 1TB. The advantage of USB sticks is they are small and flash memory rather than spinning HD, like the 5400 you suggested.
November 2021
Thank you for your suggestion!
Tbh I didn't think a USB-C Drive could handle the Sims 4. Have you tried it out before? Have you had any troubles with game lag?
November 2021
November 2021
Fair point! I guess I just figured because of the size of the game, the software would be too much to run on a USB stick. However, since it's USB-C, it runs faster so that's good to know! I appreciate your help and am going to go pick up the USB tonight. How did you transfer all of your Sims files onto the disk? I've read some posts where they recommend uninstalling and re-installing the game and origin onto the disk. Is this what you did?
November 2021
Make sure Origin is closed then move the base game and Sims 4 Packs folder onto the external drive. You’ll then need to do this to change the file path in Origin and give it permission to access the external https://bluebellflora.com/2020/11/26/external-drive-not-showing-in-origin/
You can unplug the drive when you’re not playing but ALWAYS make sure Origin is closed first. When you plug it back in and load Origin it will always verify the game installation which may take a little while depending on how much DLC you have.
November 2021
Thank you so much for your help!
November 2021 - last edited November 2021
Hello,
In follow-up of my previous post, I have successfully transferred my Sims 4 data onto a USB stick and have re-routed Origin pathway to the USB as well. I am wondering if it would be possible to move my Sims 4 Packs folder and the Sims 4 game onto the USB (which are currently located in my applications folder)?
If I were to completely save the Sims 4 onto the USB (application, data, packs, etc.), would it run properly? Would it update properly? I know that the game has system requirements. Or are these operating system specific?
Sorry if this is confusing - I have lots of questions!
Thank you,
Erika
November 2021
I believe Origin has a Move Game option where you can move your install onto a different drive. However, save data by default will always save to where Windows or macOS is installed regardless of where The Sims 4 is installed but it is possible to use symbolic links to move it to a different drive.
Assuming your Mac has an SSD, longer loading times will be expected on a USB hard drive but the game should be playable. I am not sure about using a USB stick or flash drive but a USB 3.0 or USB-C flash drive could work. Installing games on a USB hard drive or SSD (if you have one) would be a good option.
November 2021