Sims 4 Crashes/Lags on Mac since Anniversary Update Feb 2021

[fantasims]

Product: The Sims 4
Platform:Mac
Which language are you playing the game in? English
How often does the bug occur? Often (50% - 99%)
What is your current game version number? 1.72.28.1230
What expansions, game packs, and stuff packs do you have installed? All packs except the 90's CAS kit
Steps: How can we find the bug ourselves? I'm not sure because I can't pinpoint what is causing it
What happens when the bug occurs? Ever since the Anniversary update in February my game started crashing when I try to place lots I've been working on from my library, when I place a room, when I try to delete something. Then, with the most recent bunk bed update in March, the game lags so bad with loading screens, live mode, build mode etc. I can't always tell when it is going to crash but it is so laggy that it becomes overloaded easily and then crashes.
What do you expect to see? Game running smoothly, no crashes and the ability to go back to playing in ultra definition like usual
Have you installed any customization with the game, e.g. Custom Content or Mods? Not now. I've removed them.
Did this issue appear after a specific patch or change you made to your system? Yes
Please describe the patch or change you made. Anniversary update triggered the issues and bunkbed update made it worse.

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Ever since the Anniversary update in February my game started crashing when I try to place lots I've been working on from my library, when I place a room, when I try to delete something. Then, with the most recent bunk bed update in March, the game lags so bad with loading screens, live mode, build mode etc. I can't always tell when it is going to crash but it is so laggy that it becomes overloaded easily and then crashes.

I'm known for building crazy, object-heavy builds with TOOL mod and I've never had a problem until February. In fact, I always play in ultra definition, and I even updated the object resolution ("TextureSizeThreshold") in the coding from 1080 to 2048 and I'm able to play and record myself building no problem until the last 2 updates.

I've never had a problem with the game crashing before - yesterday it crashed over 15 times in a row.

Even without mods installed it is doing the same thing.

I always clear cache and files like "localthumbcache" and "notifyglob" every time before I play. I've repaired game, reinstalled game, played with an empty Tray and Saves folder and it still does the same thing. I've tried lowering the graphics from ultra to medium and although that helps a LITTLE with the lag, it is still struggling. The fact that it suddenly changed after Feb update means it can't be my computer's hardware.

I do have an older computer - a late 2012 27-inch iMac, 3.4 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7, 32G RAM 1600 MHz DDR3, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680MX 2GB. So I can't update to the latest Big Sur software for Mac, but Catalina is up to date.

I thought it could also be some corruption with my Tray folder files, but even playing the game from a fresh slate and empty folders lags and crashes.

I forgot to save the crash reports and like a ninny, deleted them so I can't attach anything but I will the next time it crashes!

[fantasims]

Here are two crash reports, I can't remember what triggered the first one, but "lastCrash.txt' was triggered when I tried to change the wall height from short to tall. I'm playing on medium graphics quality

[Bluebellflora]

@fantasims

Thanks for all the info Firstly, do you have Origin in-game enabled? If so disable it and see if that helps.

Could you set up a new user account on your Mac and see if the same happens playing in that account? Play vanilla, don't copy over any saves, Mods, tray etc.

How much storage space is available on your Mac?

[Bluebellflora]

@fantasims

Could you open Activity Monitor and see how much RAM the game is using when this happens? Could you also look at the bottom of the AM window and see how much memory is used across the whole system?

[fantasims]

Thanks for the replies! Yes I always have Origin disabled when I play sims, it doesn't use a lot of CPU but i still keep it off just to use as little CPU/RAM as possible when playing. I tried the game vanilla with nothing in mods and empty Save and Tray folders and it was still crashing.

I did set up an external Samsung T7 1TB SSD through bootcamp to run Windows and the game runs SO SMOOTH it could even handle reshade, mods, and my excessively cluttered lots lol. So I'm thinking it's a graphic issue with Macs?

Several other Mac users on twitter seem to be having the same issues as me.

As for my Mac, I have 20GB RAM free (out of 32G), 300GB storage free, and my overall CPU is only at 20% with everything running (background OS, internet, Sims 4, and I left Origin on just to see) - same as it always is when I've been able to play game in the past (before the Anniversary and bunkbed updates).

I tried loading a lot in the game on my Mac today that has just a ton of clutter (that I use to "shop" for objects I regularly use for builds) and that lot is able to load, although very laggy - but actual builds with walls/rooms/foundations/terrain seem to cause the game to crash. I don't know if that provides any insight!

[Bluebellflora]

@fantasims

Thanks. Your last crash reports are indicating a memory issue which is why I asked about RAM. Could you send me your save file and I will try and load and play? If you upload to a file sharing site then PM me the link, or post it here, whichever you prefer

[fantasims]

So sorry, didn't see your reply! O thanks for pointing out it was a RAM issue, it must be causing a spike - it didn't do that before the updates! It's not really a save file that's the issue (I have several save files that only have one lot I'm working on, and it does it if I start a new save file too) - it is mostly happening to old lots/rooms i was already working on before the updates. Some of them just won't place at all and others cause it to crash/lag if I try. It's doing it to most of them (particularly large builds or object-heavy rooms). They all worked fluid without lag before the updates. I don't mind sending you tray files but I'm not sure how to figure out which ones they are since they are all just a bunch of numbers in the folder lol

[Bluebellflora]

@fantasims

@fantasims

That would be great, or upload to the Gallery and I can download. To find them in the Tray folder - save the lot to your Library then open the Tray folder, sort by date modified, and zip up all the most recent with the same timestamp.

[fantasims]

Ok perfect thanks, I'll start doing that now, but until I finish that my game just crashed again when trying to place a floor of about 20 objects onto another floor. Here is the crash report and a screenshot of my CPU/RAM right after the crash - right before the crash CPU load was at about 17% and if there was a spike right as it crashed it would show up on the blue graph line as a red spike (such as when I render videos which takes up 98% CPU)

Since the game crashes with or without mods, I am using TOOL mod but the creator keeps it up to date and everyone else is using the mod no problem (and it works fine on my Windows-bootcamped external SSD)

It would totally make sense if my computer just can't handle the intensity of the builds due to hardware underperforming - but the fact that I was able to do all these crazy builds literally the day of the anniversary update UNTIL I downloaded the update seems to point to something else that is going on with the game? I mean, I was streaming netflix, recording me building in OBS, playing in ultra HD, using mods AND building crazy stuff and it flowed as smooth as butter lol

[fantasims]

I have a zipped folder of 3 builds but it is saying unsupported file type whenI try to upload it with this reply

so I'm not sure how to share it with you and I don't want to post them to gallery because then ppl will download them unfinished lol