Every Feature InZOI Has at Launch That The Sims 4 was…

InZOI's early access period has already been something of a roller coaster. Indeed, the game was met with a warm reception when it launched in early access in March 2025, but opinions dipped in the weeks that followed, with player counts hitting record lows and criticisms about InZOI's shallow gameplay surfacing.

Some of these criticisms came as a result of comparing InZOI to The Sims 4, as doing so can make the lack of things to do in InZOI feel very pronounced. However, The Sims 4 has been out for over a decade, and it has received nineteen expansion packs, dozens of kits, free updates, and many other content add-ons. InZOI in its current state, on the other hand, is not even the complete version of the base game, and it already has a roadmap that outlines future updates that will look to address some of the game's issues.

Why inZOI Opting for the Early Access Model Could Help it Avoid One The Sims Pitfall

Early Access can be a risk, but InZOI is making a decision that could make all the difference in helping it avoid one of The Sims 4's mistakes.

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By Shayna Josi

Comparing InZOI to The Sims 4 at Launch

A fairer comparison would be between what InZOI will look like when the features on its roadmap are implemented and what The Sims 4 looked like when it launched. Even now, InZOI has more features than The Sims 4 had at its launch, which was considered by many to be controversial and came after the project shifted from a multiplayer game to single-player (following a disastrous SimCity release). This shift required that some compromises be made, and the result was that The Sims 4 was a very different game at release than it is today.

All the updates that are planned for InZOI's early access period are considered to be a part of its base game, and they will be free for those who have purchased it.

Indeed, many features that veteran Simmers considered staples were missing from The Sims 4 when it launched. Among those missing features were pools, basements, toddlers, weather, ghosts, family trees, and more, and while they have since been added to the game, that only occurred after a decade of updates and content add-ons. It is also important to mention that many features that were added to The Sims 4 post-launch can only be accessed after purchasing content packs that cost $40.

In comparison, InZOI already has several features that were missing from The Sims 4 at launch, and it will have even more before its early access period is finished. Here is a list of those features, and it gives a sense of how InZOI at launch will compare to The Sims 4 on its release day:

Features like SmartZoi aren't included in this list, as they're new developments in technology that didn't exist when The Sims 4 launched. Additionally, features that are unique to InZOI's worldbuilding and gameplay, such as the karma system, are not included. On the other hand, some of the listed features aren't in InZOI yet, but they will be added during early access.

Features Included in InZOI's Early Access that The Sims 4 Was Missing At Launch

Create a child with medical help (added in a free update with The Sims 4: Growing Together)
Online dating (added in The Sims 4: Lovestruck)
Toddlers (added in The Sims 4 via a free update)
Running a market stall (added in The Sims 4: Get to Work)
Apartments (added in The Sims 4: City Living)
A South-East Asia-inspired world (added in The Sims 4: For Rent)
Snorkeling (added in The Sims 4: Island Living)
Animals in the world (added in The Sims 4: Cats and Dogs, The Sims 4: Cottage Living, and The Sims 4: Horse Ranch)
City deterioration (added in The Sims 4: Eco Lifestyle)
Ambient weather (added in The Sims 4: Seasons)
Natural disasters (flooding)
Driving/Cars
Resorts
A crime system