The Sims 4

【The Sims 4 Column】Issue 1: How to Elegantly Install Mods! (Tutorial)

Xiao Mo Jia De Xiao Bai·5/19/2026

Hello, everyone! I'm Mo Bai. Those who know me well know that I absolutely love playing The Sims 4 (TS4 for short). As many of you know, manually adding mods can greatly enhance the game's replayability. Here's a guide on how to successfully install mods.

1. Finding and Downloading Mods

Here are a few commonly used sites for collecting mods:

  • The Sims Baidu Tieba and related Sims subreddits
  • The official Three Palaces and Six Courtyards website
  • 3DM's The Sims 4 Zone

2. Distinguishing and Identifying Mods

Mods are mainly divided into two types: Item Mods and Model Mods. Since they go in different folders, players need to learn how to tell them apart.

Item Mods

These mods typically include makeup packs, clothing, shoes, furniture, decor, etc.

  • File Format: xxxxxxxxxx.package
  • Feature: The file format is .package.
  • Example: Stealthic Obscura (Hair).package

Model Mods

These mods are usually models of Sims or buildings.

  • File Format: Typically starts with 0x00000000! and has no fixed file extension (e.g., .householdbinary, .blueprint, etc.).
  • Example: 0x00000000!0x00a505046e840324.householdbinary

3. Installing Mods

Item mod installation path: x:\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4\Mods (x is the drive letter)

Model mod installation path: x:\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4\Tray (x is the drive letter)

Note: The installation path must be entirely in English. Also, model mods should be placed directly in the root directory of the Tray folder.

4. In-Game Settings

If you've successfully placed all your mods, you'll see a list of installed item mods pop up when you enter the main menu.

Next, you need to enable them in the settings: Click the three dots in the top right, then within Options, click Game Options - Other, and check "Enable Custom Content and Mods" and "Allow Script Mods to Run". Both must be checked. Once you've set this up, your installed mods will take effect.

How to View Installed Content

  • Lots and Sims: In "My Library," check "Include Custom Content" on the browse page to see installed content. Items with a small wrench icon are from mods.
  • Other Items: In CAS (Create a Sim) mode and Build mode, you can use the filter to check "Custom Content" to directly display mods with the wrench icon.

Alright, that's all for this mod installation tutorial! Hope it helps all you players out there!