Maxis Explains Why The Sims 4 Suddenly Takes Longer to Load

If The Sims 4 loading times suddenly feel longer when you first open the game, you’re not imagining it.

Players started reporting slower launches after the July update. Now, The Sims team has explained exactly what changed.

The good news? The longer wait at startup is partly intentional.

Why Are The Sims 4 Loading Times Longer?

The Sims team responded directly to player reports on the EA Forums.

According to the developers, the July update changed when the game loads some of its core data.

Previously, The Sims 4 reached the Main Menu sooner. It then completed heavier loading tasks in the background as you played.

The game now handles more of that work before you reach the Main Menu.

Read The Sims team’s full explanation on the EA Forums

The developers specifically explained that the game now fully initializes Python at startup.

This creates a longer initial loading screen. However, it should reduce loading times later in your session.

That includes travelling between lots, worlds and other areas.

Maxis Has Basically Moved the Loading Screen

Think of it as moving some of the waiting from later in the game to the beginning.

The Sims team calls this process “front-loading.”

Instead of completing heavier tasks while you move around the game, The Sims 4 handles them when you first launch it.

Once you press Play, EA says gameplay transitions should feel faster.

This also ties into the wider performance work that arrived with the July update.

EA introduced Memory Boost across all platforms on July 21. The feature changes how The Sims 4 manages memory during gameplay.

EA says Memory Boost can reduce lag, improve responsiveness, and lower the risk of memory-related crashes.

Read EA’s official July update details

How Long Should The Sims 4 Take to Load?

There’s an important catch.

EA says these changes shouldn’t cause startup to take longer than around one or two minutes.

So, a slightly longer loading screen may now be normal.

Waiting five or ten minutes isn’t.

The team has asked players to submit their save files if startup takes longer than two minutes. They are especially interested in reports from players using an unmodded game.

Some players have already reported waits of around five minutes on the EA Forums.

See one recent player report about longer loading times

That means EA still considers unusually long loading times a problem worth investigating.

EA Is Still Investigating Other Loading Problems

The August 4 patch gave us another update on the game’s performance.

EA confirmed that testing with player save files showed Memory Boost fixed one memory-related crash. That crash could happen when players travelled after loading a save.

However, EA also said that longer loading times and similar issues remain under investigation.

Read the latest Sims 4 patch update

So, the slower initial boot isn’t necessarily a bug.

EA deliberately moved some loading work to the beginning of each session.

However, if The Sims 4 loading times have become dramatically longer, something else may be happening. In that case, EA wants to hear from affected players.