Will I be able to play The Sims 2 on my MacBook Pro?

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Level 1

8 points

Will I be able to play The Sims 2 on my MacBook Pro?

I have the mid-2012 MacBook Pro: 2.5 GHz processor, Intel HD 4000 Graphics, 4GB of memory, and masses of storage space left. Will I be able to play my PC copies of The Sims 2 using Boot Camp? I've been looking on the internet because I was unsure whether the graphics chip was good enough as it's not designed for gaming, and some people say it won't work, others say it will (presumably because it's a 10 year old game). If it will work, would I be able to install all the expansions? Our old desktop computer that it was installed on finally died at the exact moment that I suddenly became desperate to play The Sims, so I'm hoping you'll give me good news! Thanks.

Posted on Jul 14, 2014 5:56 AM

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Answer 1

Melophage

Level 5

7,213 points

Jul 14, 2014 12:53 PM in response to raindrop191

raindrop191,

which version of OS X is installed on your MacBook Pro? Which version of Windows is installed in your Boot Camp partition? What are the system prerequisites for running the Windows version of The Sims 2 and each of its expansions?

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Answer 2

Jul 14, 2014 1:22 PM in response to raindrop191

I know this isn't really the answer to your question, but if your MacBook Pro is running Mac OS X 10.5.7 or later would you consider upgrading to Sims 3 because there is a version that will run natively in the Mac OS, and it's available at a pretty good price, although not available for instant download for Mac.

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Answer 3

raindrop191 Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 14, 2014 4:50 PM in response to Melophage

It's version 10.9.4. I've not actually set Boot Camp up yet, my dad says he'll do it, but I'm going to put XP on. The base game needs 800 MHz processor, 256 Mb RAM, 3.5 Gb hard drive, and a 32 Mb T&L video card with DirectX 9.0 driver support. The expansion packs vary but need around 1.3 GHz processor, 256 MB - 1 GBRAM, 1.5 GB hard drive, and the same video card.

It's mainly the video card that I'm unsure of, as I assume the processor etc. can deal with a ten year old game but the video card isn't really designed for gaming. I'm hoping that it's not designed for gaming in the sense that it's not designed for modern games, but can cope with older ones. I've downloaded SimCity 4, The Movies, and Rollercoaster Tycoon 3 form the App Store and they're all fine.

P.S. - Ronda Wilson: I have the PC copies of the games already, so I'm kind of reluctant to buy a new game unless my games won't work. I've looked into The Sims 3 on Origin as back up plan though, because as you said it will run natively.

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Answer 4

Melophage

Level 5

7,213 points

Jul 15, 2014 10:32 AM in response to raindrop191

raindrop191,

the Mid 2012 MacBook Pro models don’t support running Windows XP in a Boot Camp partition; the oldest version of Windows which your MacBook Pro can run in Boot Camp is the 32-bit version of Windows 7. To run Windows XP on your MacBook Pro, you’ll need to use a virtualizer such as Parallels Desktop or VirtualBox.

You’ll have no problem with meeting the game’s video card requirements.

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Answer 5

Jul 15, 2014 10:43 AM in response to raindrop191

raindrop191 wrote:

P.S. - Ronda Wilson: I have the PC copies of the games already, so I'm kind of reluctant to buy a new game unless my games won't work. I've looked into The Sims 3 on Origin as back up plan though, because as you said it will run natively.

Yeah, I got that you were wanting to run your current copies. It was just a question of ease that I was seeking for you.

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Answer 6

raindrop191 Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 15, 2014 11:06 AM in response to Melophage

Are virtualisers any good for gaming? The Sims 2 isn't compatible with Windows 7 or higher. There's stuff online about running it in compatibility mode and patching it etc. but from what I've read, it doesn't always seem to work. It also seems to be a complicated process so if it would work with a virtualiser, that would be easier I think.

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Answer 7

Dec 8, 2014 6:56 AM in response to raindrop191

raindrop191 wrote:

Are virtualisers any good for gaming? The Sims 2 isn't compatible with Windows 7 or higher. There's stuff online about running it in compatibility mode and patching it etc. but from what I've read, it doesn't always seem to work. It also seems to be a complicated process so if it would work with a virtualiser, that would be easier I think.

Actually you can play The Sims 2 with Windows 7+. I have an HP Pavillion G6 laptop with Windows 8 and I can play The Sims 2 just fine. So, maybe you're talking that in reference to maybe other windows 7+ OS systems, but I know mines work. I just wanted to mention that.

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