Sims 4: Switching game between devices

[Ketrindoll]

I use Origin but I play both on my laptop and PC. But PC has different games than my laptop, even though they are both on the same Origin account. How can I transfer my saved Sims 4 games (I don't want to lose family progress I have now) from my laptop to my PC? Would Sims still keep their memories/skills if it's possible?

[puzzlezaddict · Accepted solution]

@Ketrindoll  You can copy the entire save files from one computer to another.  All your user-created content is located in the Sims 4 folder in Documents\Electronic Arts: saves are in the saves folder, saved households and builds are in Tray, etc.  This is a complete list of the contents of that folder:

https://sims4.crinrict.com/eng/2014/09/user-files-explained/

To transfer the files, you can use an external hard drive or USB stick, a local network, or cloud storage, e.g. Google Drive or Dropbox.  The files should remain intact no matter how you transfer them, but if you're having trouble getting them to work on the second computer, try zipping them together before transfer.  (Highlight the files, right-click, Send to > Compressed (Zip) file.)

If you transfer saves this way, they should play the same on the second computer as the first one.  However, if the second computer doesn't have certain packs installed that the first one does, the saves may not be playable, because the game wouldn't know how to resolve the missing content.  This is less of an issue with stuff packs, but a missing expansion could prevent you from even opening a save, depending on which EP it is and what data the sims have.

[puzzlezaddict · Accepted solution]

@Ketrindoll  You can copy the entire save files from one computer to another.  All your user-created content is located in the Sims 4 folder in Documents\Electronic Arts: saves are in the saves folder, saved households and builds are in Tray, etc.  This is a complete list of the contents of that folder:

https://sims4.crinrict.com/eng/2014/09/user-files-explained/

To transfer the files, you can use an external hard drive or USB stick, a local network, or cloud storage, e.g. Google Drive or Dropbox.  The files should remain intact no matter how you transfer them, but if you're having trouble getting them to work on the second computer, try zipping them together before transfer.  (Highlight the files, right-click, Send to > Compressed (Zip) file.)

If you transfer saves this way, they should play the same on the second computer as the first one.  However, if the second computer doesn't have certain packs installed that the first one does, the saves may not be playable, because the game wouldn't know how to resolve the missing content.  This is less of an issue with stuff packs, but a missing expansion could prevent you from even opening a save, depending on which EP it is and what data the sims have.

[Ketrindoll]

Thank you!

[FoxleaderCobra]

So I think this was the Easiest and SAFEest way to transfer I could ever have imanagined,  Find under your Documents your Electronic Arts folder on main transfer from location, Copy the few saves you want onto your USB device or send to the cloud.  And then paste to the target device.. Documents/electronic arts/saves   I think the file is easier now then it was 2 years ago.

Thanks this did make it quick and easy...

[xochiquetzl_xkvn]

<dorky>I use SyncThing.</dorky>

Specifically, I use SyncTrayzor and have exclusions on files like thumbnailcache, etc. It keeps my saves, mods, and tray synced up between my laptop and desktop. I like to slowly trudge on the treadmill while playing on my laptop to get my daily steps in.

I also wrote a script that copies my entire Sims 4 folder to a NAS, an external hard drive, and an SFTP site.

Um. Yeah. I had a traumatic pre-Sims data loss disaster and am HARD CORE on backups.

I don't know if I recommend this to people who aren't comfortable with computers, as there's a bit of a learning curve in setting it up, but I do play on my laptop, make sure the file has synced before shutting down, and then seamlessly go to the desktop to continue the same save.