Many players report that The Sims 4 throws up a video card error when they try to start it. That error message says, “Unable to start: Can’t run The Sims 4 with the video card in the system.” That error message seems to suggest a PC’s graphics card doesn’t meet the game’s minimal system requirements. Yet, this error can arise even when a graphics card does meet the game’s minimal requirements. This is how to fix the Sims 4 video card error on Windows PC.
Update Your Graphical Driver
An outmoded and incompatible graphical driver on your PC is a possible cause for the Sims 4 video card error. To remedy this possible cause, you will need to update your graphics card’s driver. Our article about installing new graphics drivers explains how you can apply this possible fix.
The NVIDIA graphics driver page
Set Sims 4 to Run in Compatibility Mode
If you’re playing Sims 4 on a PC with an older Windows platform, that might be causing compatibility issues. Try setting Sims 4 to run in compatibility mode like this:
- First, right-click the The Sims 4 desktop shortcut with which you start the game to select Properties > Compatibility. If you don’t have a desktop shortcut, you’ll need to right-click the The Sims 4 installation file (TS4_x64.exe) in the game’s installation folder.
- Select Run this program in compatibility mode for Windows 8.
The Run this program in compatibility mode for option
- Click Apply to save selected settings and OK to close the window.
- Finally, restart your PC and try playing The Sims 4 again.
Run Sims 4 in Windowed Mode
Some players have fixed the The Sims 4 video card error by running the game in windowed mode. That further highlights that Sims 4 doesn’t always work in full-screen mode. This is how you can configure Sims 4 to run in windowed mode:
- First, right-click your The Sims 4 desktop shortcut and select Properties. If you don’t have a shortcut for the game, try creating one by right-clicking the TS4_x64.exe file in its game folder and selecting Send to > Desktop.
- Next, enter a -w to the end of the Target box, such as C:\Program Files\EA Games\TS4_x64.exe -w.
The Target box
- Click Apply > OK to set the windowed mode.
Remove The Sims 4 Mods
Old or corrupted mods also cause the The Sims 4 video card error to occur. Have you added any mods to The Sims 4? If so, try removing those mods like this:
- Go into File Explorer and open the This PC > Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 4 > Mods folder.
- Select all the mods in the folder by holding the Ctrl key and clicking on them. Don’t select the Resource.cfg file.
- Press Explorer’s Delete button on its Home tab or command bar.
The Mods folder for Sims 4
Optimize The Sims 4
Some players say they’ve fixed the Sims 4 video card error by selecting to optimize the game with GeForce Experience. If you have that software installed, you can select an Optimize option for games in it. This is how you can select to optimize The Sims 4:
- Right-click the system tray for NVIDIA software and select GeForce Experience.
- Next, click the Sims 4 game on the Home tab. If you can see it, click the three-dot menu button and select Scan for games and apps.
- Click on the Sims 4 game.
- Press the Optimize button.
The Optimize option
Those possible fixes are some of the best ways to fix the Sims 4 video card error on Windows PCs. So, try applying them all to find one that works for you. If there aren’t enough, consider sending a support ticket about the gaming issue to the Electronic Arts help service from your EA account page.
