The Sims 4 is one of those games that you could easily pick up for a month, put it down for six, and then pick it right back up like you never left it. Developed by Maxis and published by EA, the social simulator is one of the best in its genre. It is the latest in a long series of games and fans of the current iteration genuinely adore it. However, a lot of the game’s appeal comes from the freedom built into its game design. The series embraces cheat codes to allow players to tailor their experience to their liking easily. PC gamers have access to even further customization with the introduction of mods, custom content, and the topic of this article: Reshade Presets.
The Sims 4 Premise
The game is a seemingly endless sandbox for players to play in. The Sims 4 is a popular title that allows its players to create and control custom avatars known as Sims. Players follow these avatars throughout all stages of their lives. Each sim has unique traits, aspirations, and goals. You can even start families with your sims and when one dies, you can continue playing through one of their offspring. It’s a gameplay loop that breeds endless fun.
What is ReShade anyway?
This can get pretty complex and nerdy but for those curious, ReShade is a generic post-processing injector for games and video software. Basically, it allows extra graphical settings for games that don’t normally support them. You can add anti-aliasing, ambient occlusion, depth of field, chromatic aberration, film grain, and much more. If you’re interested in ReShade and want a more in-depth explanation of what it does you can read more at its website. You can download ReShade from this website but usually, if you’re using it only for a specific game you would have to use a specific version. More on this later. ReShade shouldn’t affect the performance of the game you’re using it in but it might affect some more intensive titles.
1. Clear Pop Sims 4 Reshade by amoebae
Starting off the list we have Clear POP! by amoebae. Made with Reshade 4.7 and 4.8.2, this reshade brings a bright and cheerful vibe to the Sims 4. The colors are now bold and avoid overly-saturated colors. This is a lightweight preset so it doesn’t apply any unnecessary effects to your game. You can expect this to run perfectly on virtually any hardware that can run The Sims 4.
2. Strawberry Milk Tea by Malixa
This preset is for those who are looking for a natural look for their Sims 4 game. This reshade is made with 3.0.8. a pretty old version of ReShade but luckily the link to this reshade includes a tutorial on how to install older versions of Reshade. This preset brings natural-looking lighting to the game and is perfect for those who like to take screenshots of their sims.
3. Citrus Drops by simdle
This reshade offers a warmer tone for your sim gameplay. Its lighting is similar to sunset lighting and comes in two versions. In version 1 you get a slight background blur and in version 2 the blur is a bit more prominent.
4. Eventide by Palakoslip
While this preset is similar to the previous one it’s still very different. Yes, it provides a warmer tone but it also reduces shadows to give the surroundings better visibility.
5. Starry Dust by StarrySimsie
For those looking for a more subtle change then look no further. The Starry Dust reshade only provides a few tweaks here and there. It lightens the colors and gives the scenery smoother shadows.
6. Ambrosia by peachyfaerie
Peachyfaerie’s reshade is another option for players looking for more vibrant colors. This reshade increases color saturation to make everything look brighter and more vivid. This is perfect for those looking for a more drastic difference.
7. Screenshots by ManaWhims
This is another example of a more subtle yet impactful reshade. This reshade was made specifically for taking screenshots of your sims but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have normal gameplay changes as well.
8. Reshade by Milkee’s CC
This reshade is similar to an official remaster of the Sims 4. It just makes the colors pop in a way that’s faithful to the original art direction. The colors are much clearer and more defined.
9. Sunset Skies by Qwerty
This is another reshade that has multiple versions. This reshade provides a more bloomy effect and makes the colors brighter. In version 1 there’s a bit of a shadow effect for screenshots and in version 2 the game looks more natural for those who only want the reshade for gameplay.
10. Minty Sims 4 by Draeyad
This reshade is more of a remix of the game’s original lighting and colors. It keeps the game’s color intact but overhauls the shadows and adds depth of field. This is perfect for those who like the original game’s look and just want a fresh coat of paint.
