The Sims 3 cover art

The Sims 3

by The Sims Studio · published by Electronic Arts

Released June 2, 2009 on PC and Mac.

The Sims 3 Trailer thumbnail

About The Sims 3

In The Sims 3, you can create Sims with unique personalities, fulfill their desires, and control their lives within a customizable living neighborhood. Unlock all-new Karma Powers and unleash them on your Sims: help your Sim get lucky with the power of "love connector", bless them with the power of "age defiler" or "instant beauty" or curse them with an "instant enemy". Use these powers wisely, because they may have unexpected results! As you guide your Sims through life, you can complete challenges to unlock additional items, new buildings and landmarks.

Create over a million unique Sims and control their lives. Customize everything from their appearances, to their personalities and even the home of their dreams. Then, send your Sims out to explore new locations around town and to meet other Sims in the neighborhood. With all-new quick challenges and rewarding game play, The Sims 3 gives you the freedom to choose whether (or not!) to fulfill your Sims’ destinies and make their wishes come true. Powerful character design tools let you make exactly who you want. Robust building features allow for precise control over your Sims' home. And your Sims can explore a huge neighborhood to their heart’s content. Day or night, work or play, the world is your Sims' oyster. It’s easy and fun to make your unique Sims look just right. From the face and body shaping options to the vast and ever-growing range of clothing choices to the intriguing personality types, you can create the character of your dreams… or even make yourself! Sims can roam freely throughout the town. Visit the local bistro, check out the new nightclub, get a few reps in at the gym, whatever strikes your Sims' fancy is theirs to pursue… and they’ll never have to wait in line! Whether or not you believe in destiny, you can help your Sims achieve their dreams. During their lifetimes, Sims will want different things based on their individual personality traits. Fulfilling these desires gets you points to spend purchasing new items for your Sims. And it’ll give you a nice warm feeling, too.

Release dates by platform

PCNAJune 2, 2009 · Out now
MacNAJune 2, 2009 · Out now
PCEUJune 4, 2009 · Out now
PCJPJune 4, 2009 · Out now
MacEUJune 4, 2009 · Out now
MacJPJune 4, 2009 · Out now

Reviews & players

Critic score759 reviews
Steam reviewsVery Positive86% of 34K positive
Player score80641 ratings on IGDB
Playing now1,190on Steam at last update

PC system requirements

Official specs from Steam

Full specs

Minimum

OS *Windows XP (Service Pack 2) or Windows Vista (Service Pack 1)
Processor(XP) 2.0 GHz P4 processor or equivalent; (Vista) 2.4 GHz P4 processor or equivalent
Memory(XP) 1 GB; (Vista) 1.5 GB
Graphics128 MB Video Card with support for Pixel Shader 2.0
DirectX®
Hard DriveAt least 6.5 GB of hard drive space with at least 1 GB additional space for custom content

The Sims 3 FAQ

When did The Sims 3 come out?

The Sims 3 was released on June 2, 2009 for PC and Mac.

Is The Sims 3 on PlayStation 5?

No. The Sims 3 has not been announced for PlayStation 5. It is available on PC and Mac.

Is The Sims 3 on Xbox Series X|S?

No. The Sims 3 has not been announced for Xbox Series X|S. It is available on PC and Mac.

Is The Sims 3 on Nintendo Switch 2?

No. The Sims 3 has not been announced for Nintendo Switch 2. It is available on PC and Mac.

Who is making The Sims 3?

The Sims 3 is developed by The Sims Studio and published by Electronic Arts.

Is The Sims 3 multiplayer?

No. The Sims 3 is single player only.

How much does The Sims 3 cost?

The Sims 3 costs $19.99 on Steam. Prices checked October 9, 2026.

Is The Sims 3 good?

Steam players rate it "Very Positive" — 86% of 34,416 reviews are positive. Critics average 75/100.

What are the minimum PC requirements for The Sims 3?

The minimum GPU is 128 MB Video Card with support for Pixel Shader 2.0. See the full minimum and recommended specs on our The Sims 3 system requirements page.

The Sims series

22 games in release order

Full timeline
  1. The Sims2000
  2. SimsVille2001
  3. The Sims Online2002
  4. The Sims Bustin' Out2003
  5. The Sims 22004
  6. The Sims: Life Stories2007
  7. The Sims Pet Stories2007
  8. The Sims: Bowling2007
  9. The Sims Pool2007
  10. MySims2007
  11. The Sims 2: Castaway2007
  12. The Sims DJ2007
  13. The Sims Carnival: Bumper Blast2008
  14. The Sims Castaway Stories2008
  15. The Sims 32009
  16. The Sims Medieval2011
  17. The Sims Medieval: Limited Edition2011
  18. The Sims Social2011
  19. The Sims 3: Pets2011
  20. The Sims FreePlay2011
  21. The Sims 42014
  22. The Sims Mobile2018

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