The Sims 4 was released in 2014, and since then, the game has seen many free and paid upgrades through expansions, game packs, and other community-created content. It can be hard to navigate through 8 years’ worth of content when it comes to a game that keeps on getting upgrades regularly. Due to that, we’ve decided to create this guide to summarize important distinctions between The Sims 4 and The Sims 4 Digital Deluxe edition.
The Sims 4 Digital Deluxe Edition is an upgraded version of the base game that adds All Night & Life of the Party Digital Content. Plus, it features a downloadable OST created for the Sims 4. Because The Sims 4 base game is currently free and the deluxe edition currently goes for around $9.99, the upgrade is not really worth it. $9.99 is too much for such a small amount of content. Nothing of relevance or game-changing has been added, and due to that, it’s better to just stick with the free base game.
Now that we’ve given you the short answer, it’s time to analyze the differences in more detail. If you want to know the main differences between the Sims 4 and The Sims 4: Deluxe Edition, stay with us and keep reading!
The Sims 4 vs. Deluxe: price comparison
I’m going to start with the obvious, the base edition of the game has a major advantage in this department due to being completely free. On October 18, 2022, The Sims 4 moved to a “free-to-play” model which increased the overall playability of the game and brought many players to the franchise. It makes sense for an older game with a bunch of expansion packs and game packs that have been added over time. People are more likely to spend money on your game if you offer them the base game for free. During playing, you can bombard them with ads related to the content they are missing out on. And there is a bunch of content you are missing out on when you have only the base game installed. Over the last eight years, The Sims 4 was upgraded with 12 expansion packs, 12 game packs and other stuff packs, and even smaller kits.
This adds up to hundreds of items you don’t have access to and numerous sweet in-game mechanics that you will be tempted to buy. So to summarize, The Sims 4 is free forever, and you can get your copy on Steam or Origin, depending on which digital storefront you prefer. The Sim 4: Digital Deluxe Upgrade, however, never went free. It costs around $9.99, no matter whether you own the base game or not. When it comes to price comparison, cheaper does not always necessarily mean better, but when it comes to this case, it is.
What is different about Sims 4 Digital Deluxe Edition?
The Sims 4 Digital Deluxe Edition comes with Up All Night & Life of the Party Digital Content. Don’t confuse those game packs with full-blown expansion packs. Game packs & stuff packs are mostly smaller in nature and feature much fewer items than the full-sized expansions.
Up All Night and Life of the Party include “the Laser Light Show, Flaming Tiki Bar, fun decorations, and outrageous party costumes, as per the official EA description.
The Digital Deluxe edition also comes with a downloadable soundtrack created for the game. Ilan Eshkeri, a British neoclassical composer, composed the soundtrack to reflect the in-game mood changes of your Sims. It’s a true work of art, but you can listen to it for free both in-game and on YouTube.
As you can see, it’s not much. If you’re really hung up on having those few extra items, the price tag of $9.99 will not bother you. Keep in mind that the added game packs cannot be bought separately. They are exclusive to the Deluxe Edition, so if you’re a completionist, this is the only way to acquire them.
Do I need Sims 4 before purchasing the Sims 4 Deluxe Edition?
You don’t have to purchase Sims 4 before upgrading to the Digital Deluxe Edition because the base Sims 4 game is free. Additionally, Digital Deluxe Edition comes with the Sims 4 base game, so however you look at it, you get the Sims 4 base game for free. It’s the additional content that costs $9.99 and not the game itself.
Is The Sims 4: Digital Deluxe Edition worth it?
In my opinion, the Deluxe edition is not worth it. The additional price tag that comes with only a few items is definitely not worth it when you take into account that the whole game is free. It’s nothing unusual, however, as EA was often criticized for the massive number of expansions, game packs, stuff packs, and kits released over the years, and many players believe that at least a portion of those features should be included in the base game.
But to be fair, if you have a few bucks lying around to spend and you catch the Deluxe Edition on sale, you should give it a try. The full price, however, is not worth it.
