A new update for The Sims 4 will allow players to more fully customize their Sim's sexual orientation and romantic preferences. These new features will be introduced as a part of the High School Years expansion pack, which further fleshes out Sim life in the high school stage. The Sims 4's new sexual and romantic customization options come in the wake of other updates that have provided further representation for LGBTQIA+ players.
The Sims 4 offers numerous possibilities for romance, but many have pointed out that the game does not offer enough gender and sexuality options. Over the last few years, developers have produced a series of inclusivity updates. A recent update has been the welcome but long overdue Sims 4 Custom Pronoun update. The setting enables the player to create custom pronouns in the game’s character builder, Create A Sim (CAS), which helps accommodate non-binary and gender-nonconforming identities.
Jessica Croft, Design Lead on The Sims 4: High School Years expansion pack, has announced a new base game update on new Sims 4 Orientation Update will mean that Sims will romantically behave as they currently do. The default setting is for a Sim to be exploring and interested in WooHoo-ing both men and women.
Sims 4's New Update Adds Representation For LGBTQIA+ Players
To update a Sim’s orientation in The Sims 4, the player must interact with a mirror or dresser in the game to access CAS. After this, they can click the ellipsis button and find "Sexual Orientation" under the "More Details" heading. The player can check any combination of boxes to reflect a Sim's orientation. If the exploring romantically checkbox is ticked, a Sim can shift their sexual orientation throughout the game. Like the inclusivity-winning Sims 4 pronoun update, this update also opens up new possibilities such as aromantic and asexual Sims. If the player wishes to create an aromatic Sim, they can leave all the romantic boxes unchecked. From there, a Sim can WooHoo with another Sim without performing any romantic actions. They only need to be close friends to ask to become WooHoo Partners. Likewise, a player can create an asexual Sim by leaving the "mess around with" option unchecked.
Unfortunately, the new sexual orientation settings will only have gender binary options. When it was originally developed, The Sims 4’s developers did not have a non-gender binary system in mind when creating the game. Non-binary Sims cannot exist due to technical limitations in the game's mechanics, even with recent updates allowing players to customize pronouns, clothing preferences, and physical attributes. Croft acknowledges that this is not a substitute for the non-binary gender, and while the new customization features are a welcome step forward, it's clear The Sims 4 needs to improve representation.
While the new attraction and orientation update allows the player to tell more stories in The Sims 4, it still has limitations. For some, technical reasons will not be a good enough excuse for why there is no non-binary gender. However, Croft promises further details and updates on this issue. Developers are working with GLAAD and the It Gets Better Project to ensure that eventually all perspectives can be captured. For a game about the endless varieties of life, the new update is a step in the right direction towards a more inclusive Sims 4.
Source: The Sims 4