IMHO.

The Sims™ 4 vs The Sims™ 2 Legacy Collection

The Sims™ 4 and The Sims™ 2 Legacy Collection both land in Simulation 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 are Simulation games on Steam. The Sims™ 4 (2020) is 5 years older than The Sims™ 2 Legacy Collection (2025). The Sims™ 4 scores higher on Steam reviews (87.1% positive) than The Sims™ 2 Legacy Collection (70.1% 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™ 4

Choose The Sims™ 4 if you want an Adventure, Free To Play, and Casual 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.

Choose The Sims™ 2 Legacy Collection

Choose The Sims™ 2 Legacy Collection if it's the newer release (2025) and ships with the modern feature baseline. 2,670 Steam reviews back the pick.

Both The Sims™ 4 and The Sims™ 2 Legacy Collection sit in Simulation 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 vs The Sims™ 2 Legacy Collection — Steam metadata comparison
The Sims™ 4 — Steam game coverThe Sims™ 4The Sims™ 2 Legacy Collection — Steam game coverThe Sims™ 2 Legacy Collection
Released20202025
GenresAdventure, Simulation, Free To Play, CasualSimulation
PlatformsWindowsWindows
Steam DeckDeck PlayableDeck Playable
PriceFree to play17.99 USD
Steam reviews87.1% positive (103,350 reviews)70.1% positive (2,670 reviews)
MultiplayerSingle-player onlySingle-player only
DevelopersMaxisMAXIS

Side by side

The Sims™ 4 vs The Sims™ 2 Legacy Collection — FAQ

Which is better, The Sims™ 4 or The Sims™ 2 Legacy Collection?
On Steam reviews The Sims™ 4 scores higher (87.1% positive) than The Sims™ 2 Legacy Collection (70.1% 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™ 2 Legacy Collection first?
If you want chronology, The Sims™ 4 (2020) came out before The Sims™ 2 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™ 2 Legacy Collection similar?
They overlap on Simulation 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™ 2 Legacy Collection is paid (17.99 USD).
The Sims™ 4 vs The Sims™ 2 Legacy Collection (2026) · imho.run