Unable to disable fullscreen option - Mac

[INeedNAdult94]

Picked up TS3 during the Origin sale (Mac version). I'm doing the usual "getting started" stuff - getting it to recognize my graphics card, increasing RAM allocations, etc. A few things:

1.) I'm on an older Macbook Pro with integrated graphics, plus an eGPU with an RX580. I made sure the game recognizes both GPUs, which it does.

2.) I'm on a dual monitor set up and would like to play in windowed mode, otherwise my second monitor is basically unusable. I know this is due to the game locking my cursor.

The main problem: so I went to my Options.ini file and set fullscreen = 0 to disable it. When i went back to launch the game, I had crazy blue bars flying all across the screen. To add insult to injury, the game didn't even start in windowed mode, lol.

I changed the fullscreen value back to 1 and the blue bars stopped. In game, the menu does not allow me to toggle fullscreen on and off (everyone seems to have this ability except me), it just tells me to hit CMD+Return to toggle between modes. Which... I could do, but sometimes doing that makes the game freeze entirely. And I think this missing menu option is what's causing my main issue, but I'll ask anyway...

Does anyone have any insight on why the game trips up when I edit the .ini file? Or is there a way to stop the game from locking my cursor in a way that doesn't involve tabbing out of the entire game?

Semi-related problem: When I do manually toggle to windowed mode, the title bar appears at the top of the window and cuts off a part of the game's UI. Not by a terrible amount, but enough for a picky Simmer to notice, especially if I hover my mouse low enough to trigger the dock to appear. Is there a way to get rid of the title bar and play in a borderless window to get as close to a single fullscreen experience on a Mac as possible?

[INeedNAdult94 · Accepted solution]

@puzzlezaddict Sorry for the delay in getting back to you on this - thought I had email notifications on!

I didn't end up increasing the RAM because after doing some research, I read that increasing the allocation beyond 2GB doesn't really make a difference for the Mac version. Otherwise, I'd increase it to 4 GB. Was what I researched incorrect?

And here are my Mac specs - please note that I am using an external GPU as my primary graphics processor and not the integrated Intel graphics chip:

MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, 2014)

Processor 2.6 GHz Intel Core i5

Memory 8 GB 1600 MHz DDR3

Startup Disk Macintosh HD

Graphics Radeon RX 580 8GB

EDIT: I hopped on a quick chat with EA support and they sent me the 64-bit version of the game, which alleviates a few issues - I can now see my second screen, but can't use it because the game locks the cursor. not sure if there's anything I do about that beyond playing in windowed mode, so I'll stick to that. Thank you for the recommendation, as I immediately noticed performance increase with the 64-bit version - for starters, my computer's fan doesn't scream at me when i try to load the game anymore. I think this has a lot to do with the game now natively being for macOS.

The issue that I had with the UI mode being cut off in windowed mode also appears to be fixed with with this 64-bit version, but I'm still dealing with the pesky title bar. Not a dealbreaker, but a bit immersion breaking. Don't want to cry over spilled milk so I'll deal with it for now, and remain on the hunt for borderless window/faux fullscreen solution.

Really appreciate you taking the time to assist me on this... I know that there's only so much that you can do while gaming on a Mac before eventually switching to PC, but I'm working with what I've got while I have it! I'm trying to be as thorough as I can with my observations and steps taken so that if anyone else goes through this issue, they won't have to thumb through as many forum threads as I did...

[puzzlezaddict]

@INeedNAdult94  Are you running the 32-bit or the 64-bit version of Sims 3?  And what did you do to try to increase the RAM allocation?

Please also post the full specs of your Mac: everything under About This Mac except for your serial number.

The tickbox for fullscreen mode only exists in Windows, not in macOS.  Switching between fullscreen and windowed mode has always required a keyboard command, and that didn't change with the 64-bit version.

[ASTR0Z0]

@puzzlezaddict Made an account just to say thank you!!

[INeedNAdult94 · Accepted solution]

@puzzlezaddict Sorry for the delay in getting back to you on this - thought I had email notifications on!

I didn't end up increasing the RAM because after doing some research, I read that increasing the allocation beyond 2GB doesn't really make a difference for the Mac version. Otherwise, I'd increase it to 4 GB. Was what I researched incorrect?

And here are my Mac specs - please note that I am using an external GPU as my primary graphics processor and not the integrated Intel graphics chip:

MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, 2014)

Processor 2.6 GHz Intel Core i5

Memory 8 GB 1600 MHz DDR3

Startup Disk Macintosh HD

Graphics Radeon RX 580 8GB

EDIT: I hopped on a quick chat with EA support and they sent me the 64-bit version of the game, which alleviates a few issues - I can now see my second screen, but can't use it because the game locks the cursor. not sure if there's anything I do about that beyond playing in windowed mode, so I'll stick to that. Thank you for the recommendation, as I immediately noticed performance increase with the 64-bit version - for starters, my computer's fan doesn't scream at me when i try to load the game anymore. I think this has a lot to do with the game now natively being for macOS.

The issue that I had with the UI mode being cut off in windowed mode also appears to be fixed with with this 64-bit version, but I'm still dealing with the pesky title bar. Not a dealbreaker, but a bit immersion breaking. Don't want to cry over spilled milk so I'll deal with it for now, and remain on the hunt for borderless window/faux fullscreen solution.

Really appreciate you taking the time to assist me on this... I know that there's only so much that you can do while gaming on a Mac before eventually switching to PC, but I'm working with what I've got while I have it! I'm trying to be as thorough as I can with my observations and steps taken so that if anyone else goes through this issue, they won't have to thumb through as many forum threads as I did...

[puzzlezaddict]

@INeedNAdult94  You're correct that the 32-bit Mac version of Sims 3 can only use 2 GB memory, so any steps you'd have taken to try to change that wouldn't have helped.  The 64-bit version does not have a RAM limit, and interestingly, it actually uses less memory overall for the same saves, which is convenient.

I don't know of any windowed borderless app that works in macOS, and the function isn't built into Sims 3, or the Mac version of Sims 4 for that matter.  If you do find an outside app that works, please let me know; I'd like to try it too.

I don't know of any way to hide the game's title bar either, unfortunately.  It's something I've managed to start ignoring though, playing in windowed mod myself, especially if I have the window right up against the system menu bar: I'm used to not really noticing that either unless I want to use it, so they kind of blend together.  I hope the same happens for you.