The Sims 4 white screen bug is a widely reported gaming issue. One player described that bug as follows: “I’ve been trying to play the Sims lately, but whenever I do, I just end up getting a white screen. The game will play the opening screen, then minimize the screen. Once I open the tab to full screen, all I get is a white screen.” Consequently, players can’t play The Sims 4 because of that white screen bug. This is how you can fix the Sims 4 white screen bug on Windows PC.
Check the Resolution Configuration
The Sims 4 white screen bug can occur when the resolution settings in its options.ini file don’t match up with your PC’s screen resolution settings. Players confirm they’ve fixed that bug by changing the resolution values set within the options.ini file to match the actual PC resolutions. So, try checking the resolution configuration as follows:
- Open Settings by right-clicking the Start button and selecting its shortcut from there.
- Click System > Display within Settings.
- Select the recommended value for the Scale setting.
The Scale setting
- Next, open the Users > PC > Documents> Electronic Arts > TheSims4 folder in File Explorer.
- Right-click the Options file to select Open with > Notepad.
- Next, look for the resolutionwidth = and resolutionheight = configuration settings in the Options file.
The Options file
- Change the resolutionwidth = and resolutionheight = values to match those of the resolution selected in Settings if they don’t match up.
- Click File and the Save option on that menu.
Unselect the Enable Custom Content and Mods Game Option
Players also confirm they’ve fixed the Sims 4 white screen bug by unselecting the Enable Custom Content and Mods game option in Sims 4. That much highlights that incompatible or outmoded mod versions can cause this white screen to occur. This is how you can unselect the Enable Custom Content and Mods checkbox in Sims 4:
- Start your Sims 4 game.
- Click Options on the menu.
- Press the Game Options button.
- Click the Other tab.
- Unselect the checkbox for Enable Custom Content and Mods.
The Enable Custom Content and Mods checkbox
- Click Apply Changes to save options.
Erase the Mods Folder
If disabling mods with the in-game setting doesn’t work, try erasing the Mods folder to fix the Sims 4 white screen bug. You can erase that folder as follows:
- Go into File Explorer and navigate to the C:\Users\Your Username\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4 folder.
- Click the Mods folder to select it.
- Select Delete on File Explorer’s command bar or tab.
If you prefer to keep most of your mods, you could try moving the Mods folder out of the Sims 4 directory onto the desktop. Then, start your The Sims 4 game with the Mods folder on the desktop. Sims 4 will recreate a new, empty Mods folder that you can move mods back into.
Update the Graphics Driver on Your PC
As the white screen bug is a graphical issue, it makes sense to update your PC’s graphics driver for troubleshooting purposes. Your PC’s graphics driver might be faulty or outmoded. This KeenGamer post provides guidelines for how players can update their graphics card drivers.
The NVIDIA graphics driver
Adjust Compatibility Settings for Your Game Client
Selecting to run your gaming client in compatibility mode can potentially resolve conflicts, causing the Sims 4 white screen bug to occur. It’s also recommended to disable full-screen optimizations and run the gaming client with elevated software rights. Try adjusting compatibility settings for Steam, the EA app, or Epic Games like this:
- Right-click the desktop shortcut for Steam, Epic Games, or the EA app on your desktop to select Properties and Compatibility.
- Then, select the checkbox for Run this program in compatibility mode and the Windows 8 platform setting.
- Select Disable fullscreen optimizations to enable that option.
- Then, enable admin rights by selecting Run this program as an administrator.
The Compatibility tab
- Click Apply > OK to finish.
Other Possible Ways to Fix the Sims 4 White Screen Bug
If the white screen bug persists, there are other troubleshooting methods that might fix it. Try applying these additional fixes for the Sims 4 white screen bug.
- Select to repair or verify your Sims 4 game with the Repair/Verify option in your gaming client software.
- Reinstall your gaming client and the Sims 4. Note that uninstalling your games client might also remove other games.
- Set the game to run in windowed mode by entering a -windowed launch parameter for The Sims 4 into Steam or an alternative gaming client. Alternatively, try entering a -w launch parameter for The Sims 4 in the EA app.
The potential resolutions discussed here will probably fix the Sims 4 white screen bug for most players. However, you can also ask the Sims 4 EA help service for more potential fixes if needed. To send a customer support ticket, click Contact Us on this The Sims 4 help page.
