Quick Answer
Yes, it is possible to play The Sims 4 from an external hard drive. The game’s files can be installed on an external hard drive and launched directly from there as long as the drive is connected to your computer. This allows you to free up space on your computer’s internal drive and take the game files with you easily.
What are the requirements for playing The Sims 4 from an external drive?
Here are the requirements for playing The Sims 4 from an external hard drive:
- A Windows or Mac computer that meets the system requirements for The Sims 4.
- Enough storage space on the external drive for the game files. The Sims 4 takes up around 15-20GB.
- A USB 3.0 external hard drive for best performance. USB 2.0 drives may have slower load times.
- The Origin game launcher installed. The Sims 4 requires the Origin client even if playing from an external drive.
How to install The Sims 4 on an external hard drive
Follow these steps to install The Sims 4 on an external hard drive:
- First, install the Origin client if you don’t already have it.
- Connect your external hard drive to your computer.
- Open Origin and go to the Game Library tab.
- Right-click on The Sims 4 and select “Move Game…”
- A window will open showing your PC’s drives. Select your external hard drive.
- Click Move to begin transferring the game files.
- Once completed, The Sims 4 will now launch from the external drive.
Playing the game from the external drive
To play The Sims 4 from your external hard drive:
- Connect your external drive to your computer.
- Open the Origin client and go to My Game Library.
- Select The Sims 4 and click Play.
- Origin will automatically run the game from the external drive location.
You can continue playing as normal while running from the external drive. All your save files and settings will remain intact.
Benefits of playing from an external drive
There are a few advantages to running The Sims 4 from an external hard drive:
- Saves storage space on your computer’s internal drive.
- Lets you easily take your Sims 4 files anywhere.
- Allows you to keep playing if you switch computers by connecting the drive.
- Provides more flexibility if you have limited internal space on a laptop.
Potential issues
While playing from an external drive works well overall, there are a couple things to keep in mind:
- Drive speed can impact loading times. An older USB 2.0 drive will load much slower than a new USB 3.0 or USB-C SSD drive.
- You must have the external drive connected to play. The game won’t launch without the external drive attached.
- Multiplayer may be affected depending on drive performance.
As long as you have a sufficiently fast external drive, you should face minimal issues. Test different drives if possible to find the best balance of speed and capacity for your needs.
Conclusion
Installing and running The Sims 4 on an external hard drive is perfectly possible and often very useful. It provides more flexibility for players with limited internal computer storage. Performance is generally solid as long as you use a sufficiently fast newer drive like a USB 3.0 SSD. Just be sure to keep the drive attached when playing and aim for at least 15-20GB of free space. Overall, it’s a great way to free up space while still enjoying everything The Sims 4 has to offer.
