EA has just given The Sims 4 players a look at the next item on its laundry list of upcoming bug-fixes and game improvements: making sure the game actually saves correctly. Assuming all goes to plan when the next free base game patch arrives on July 21, players will soon be able to enjoy The Sims 4 without constant fear that a sudden crash or corrupted save file will destroy their progress.
The upcoming patch approaches the saved-game struggle from multiple angles. The first is the implementation of an auto-save feature. That’s right–over a decade after its 2014 launch, The Sims 4 is finally getting an auto-save function, and players can tweak how frequently the game auto-saves via the settings menu. Additionally, “save reminders” will now pop up from time to time to remind players to save their games.
“Together, these features help reduce the risk of lost progress while giving you the flexibility to save the way you want,” EA shared in a blog post announcing the patch.
Finally, the days of spending hours building an elaborate house–only to lose everything when the game crashes and you realize you haven’t saved even once–appear to be coming to an end. But the real star of the show here is the game’s new Memory Boost feature, which is a part of the free base game patch arriving on all platforms on July 21.
“Memory Boost improves how The Sims 4 manages memory while you play, helping deliver a smoother experience with reduced lag, improved frame rates and responsiveness, shorter loading times, and a lower risk of memory-related crashes,” EA explained.
EA noted that players are likely to notice Memory Boost improving their gameplay experience during longer play sessions, in larger households, on heavily decorated lots, and in older save files, and noted that while Memory Boost isn’t exactly a save-fixing feature, it can “reduce some memory-related save issues.” And in some play-tests, it did appear to fix issues with certain saves.
“During testing, some players experiencing issues such as missing lot data were able to recover affected content after enabling Memory Boost and loading their save,” EA noted in a follow-up blog expanding on the feature. “While Memory Boost is not intended to be a dedicated save-repair tool and may not resolve every save-related issue, its improvements to memory management can help reduce the likelihood of certain problems occurring and support overall save stability.”
The new patch is just the latest in a series of updates meant to address some of The Sims 4’s long-standing issues. But EA is already planning the game’s next major update, which is slated to arrive in September and will focus on improving Sims’ autonomous behavior.
“The next major quality-of-life update, coming in September, is focused on improving general Sim autonomy–making Sims behave more intelligently, consistently, and responsively across everyday gameplay,” EA shared. “It’s another step in our ongoing commitment to making The Sims 4 feel smoother, more reliable, and more enjoyable every time you play.”