Choose The Sims™ 4
Choose The Sims™ 4 if you want an Adventure and Free To Play game with Stereo Sound, Surround Sound, and Playable without Timed Input. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 87.1% positive across 103,350 reviews.
The Sims™ 4 vs The Sims™ Legacy Collection
The Sims™ 4 and The Sims™ Legacy Collection both land in Simulation, Casual on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Simulation, Casual on Steam. The Sims™ 4 (2020) is 5 years older than The Sims™ Legacy Collection (2025). The Sims™ 4 scores higher on Steam reviews (87.1% positive) than The Sims™ Legacy Collection (71.9% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose The Sims™ Legacy Collection
Choose The Sims™ Legacy Collection if it's the newer release (2025) and ships with the modern feature baseline. 1,455 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both The Sims™ 4 and The Sims™ Legacy Collection sit in Simulation and Casual on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 The Sims™ 4 |  The Sims™ Legacy Collection | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2020 | 2025 |
| Genres | Adventure, Simulation, Free To Play, Casual | Simulation, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | Free to play | 11.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 87.1% positive (103,350 reviews) | 71.9% positive (1,455 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Maxis | MAXIS |
Side by side
- Both share Simulation, Casual on Steam.
- The Sims™ 4 (2020) is 5 years older than The Sims™ Legacy Collection (2025).
- The Sims™ 4 scores higher on Steam reviews (87.1% positive) than The Sims™ Legacy Collection (71.9% positive).
- The Sims™ 4 is free; The Sims™ Legacy Collection is paid (11.99 USD).
- Both are Deck Playable.
The Sims™ 4 vs The Sims™ Legacy Collection — FAQ
- Which is better, The Sims™ 4 or The Sims™ Legacy Collection?
- On Steam reviews The Sims™ 4 scores higher (87.1% positive) than The Sims™ Legacy Collection (71.9% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, The Sims™ 4 is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play The Sims™ 4 or The Sims™ Legacy Collection first?
- If you want chronology, The Sims™ 4 (2020) came out before The Sims™ Legacy Collection (2025). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are The Sims™ 4 and The Sims™ Legacy Collection similar?
- They overlap on Simulation, Casual on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Is The Sims™ 4 free?
- Yes — The Sims™ 4 is a free-to-play Steam title. The Sims™ Legacy Collection is paid (11.99 USD).