At the Behind The Sims Summit hosted in October 2022, developers of The Sims 4 announced several new additions to the life-simulation game. Although a fifth-generation Sims game, currently nicknamed "Project Rene" was the big announcement at the summit, they announced several continuing improvements to The Sims 4.
First released in 2014, The Sims 4 is due to receive a revolutionary new development in the form of infants being introduced to the game. Infants have not existed in any other form of The Sims, and the announcement has players excitedly speculating about how addition of infants will work within the game.
Infant Is A New Life Stage
Due to their resemblances to babies, Sims fans can be mistaken for thinking that infants will replace babies in The Sims 4. However, they will exist alongside babies, as an entirely new life stage in the game.
Infants have never previously existed in any Sims game, and are a new, revolutionary change brought to the franchise. Infants will exist as a stage between babies and toddlers, and their abilities and interactions will reflect that in-between change.
They Are Bigger And Older Than Babies
As they are a life stage after babies, infants will be larger than babies introduced into the game when a Sim gives birth to them. Babies in The Sims 4 cannot move independently of their crib or an older Sim holding them, but infants will be able to do so.
As shown in the footage, infants are bigger in size and have more hair as well as more distinct facial features. Babies are akin to newborns while infants represent children who are around a year old.
They Will Be Part Of A Base Game Update
Infants will be introduced as part of a patch update to the game, given to all who possess The Sims 4 base game required to purchase any expansions, game packs, or kits. This means that all Sims 4 players will be able to use infants as part of their gameplay.
Patch updates are frequent updates to The Sims 4, made by developers to introduce bug fixes and new additions to the game. One early patch update to the game introduced toddlers to the game, as they had not been included at the start of The Sims 4 back in 2014.
The Update Is Coming In Early 2023
At the Sims Summit conference, Sims developers confirmed that the update would come in "early 2023." The summit did not specify an exact date, likely in order to not delay release should any problems arise.
The update is likely to be the biggest update of the year, and one of the last major updates to The Sims 4 before The Sims 5 is released - also at a date to be confirmed. In the meantime, fans can enjoy two new add-ons to the game in the form of kits - the Pastel Pop Kit and the Everyday Clutter Kit, which have been developed alongside Sims YouTubers like Plumbella.
It Will Be Free For All Players
When the infant update to The Sims 4 was announced, many players were concerned that infants would only be available as part of a pack for purchasing. This is in large part due to a major criticism of The Sims 4 and its frequent paywalling of objects and gameplay previously available in the base game of earlier Sims games.
Luckily, this is not the case. As the infant update is an entirely new life stage and is part of a base game patch update, the update will be free for all players to use, regardless of what packs they have.
Infants Can Move Independently Of Their Crib
The Sims 4, babies are essentially objects in the game, which has been a major criticism of the game since its release. Babies are confined to the cot they come with in the game, and cannot be placed elsewhere by the parent Sim or taken outside of the home lot. Their uselessness has been the source of memes amongst The Sims 4 players.
As shown in preview footage of the infant update, infant Sims can crawl around on the floor and roll over. This is a vast improvement from baby Sims, who can only lie on their back from within the cot and have no movement outside of the cot.
Adults Can Interact With Infants in New Ways
With new movement and animation abilities, infants are much more intelligent and interesting than babies in The Sims 4. With this new development, adults can now do interactions with their young Sims and form a closer, more realistic bond with them.
As shown in the preview footage, the adult Sim picks up the infant and cuddles it, likely the first of many new interactions. Hopefully, parent Sims should be able to take infants outside across The Sims worlds, perhaps with some new objects, like a stroller.
Infants Will Be Able To Use Toys
In the preview footage at the Behind The Sims Summit, some eagle-eyed Sims fans noticed a potential Easter egg. There are some new toy objects in the background of the infant crawling, that don't currently exist in The Sims 4.
Hopefully, this is hinting at the fact infants can play with toys in the game, similarly to how toddlers do. This would be a great way of showing the developments from the vastly different babies and toddlers in the game, as toddlers are probably the equivalent to a human three-year-old, and babies are like newborns in The Sims 4.
Adult Sims Have Been Adjusted Accordingly
Before the infant update announcement was made, Sims players spotted that the lifespan of adult Sims had been extended. Now with the knowledge of the infant update, it seems that the extension was made to accommodate adult Sims parenting an infant.
Too often in The Sims 4, parent Sims die of old age before their children are even adults, which would only worsen under a new lifespan. This is a welcome update to the game, as Sims can have a better relationship with their parents without Sims players having to resort to cheat codes to extend their lifespan.
Babies Will Still Exist In Their Current Form
After the infant update announcement, many players thought that infants would replace babies in The Sims 4, given the mass unpopularity of Sims babies. However, now that infants are confirmed as a separate life stage, we now know that babies are here to stay in the game.
Hopefully, babies will get the improvements that will satisfy players. In the meantime, babies will resemble only very young human babies, with infants taking on the role of older, more developed human babies.