Sims 4 Images Show How a Lighting Change Could Take the Game's Graphics to the Next Level

A Sims 4 player has given fellow fans an idea of what the game could look like with overhauled lighting, and the difference is incredible. With The Sims 4 now over 10 years old, many may feel that improving the lighting in the way this player demonstrated could breathe new life into the game.
The Sims has been a popular franchise for 25 years now, and The Sims 4 is still a hit with players even 11 years after its original release. Regular releases of content and updates for the game, as well as an endless supply of Sims 4 mods help to keep the game interesting year after year. While the game still looks fairly good for its age, there have been a number of improvements in game visuals since its original release, and players are imagining what it would be like if some of those were implemented in The Sims 4.
On Reddit, user Mindless-Person shared their concepts for The Sims 4 with refreshed lighting, demonstrating how much more realistic it could look without making major changes to the base game's appearance. Mindless-Person shared a series of four screenshots of the game as they appear inherently, and then with reduxed lighting, giving the look of the game considerably more depth and realism. The OP points out that some fans have been outspoken about appreciating the cartoony look of The Sims 4, and that some feel that losing that element would destroy its identity. By leaving the textures and overall models intact but changing the lighting, Mindless-Person suggests that the stylized look could be maintained while still bringing it into the modern era with this major overhaul.
A number of players have agreed with the OP, stating that a combination of improved lighting with the existing graphics of the game would be a good compromise. While some gamers prefer the realistic graphics of InZOI, one of the only major Sims competitors out there, others like the silliness and over-the-top stylings of The Sims 4. Overhauling the lighting without changing the core qualities of the game might be a good way of updating the game without driving existing players away.
However, some haven't fully agreed with the OP. Some have pointed out that there are existing mods for the game that help to improve the lighting, achieving an effect similar to these images, so a complete lighting overhaul on EA's part may be unnecessary. On the other hand, some players have pointed out that they love the look of the improved lighting, but they doubt that their computers would be capable of handling it. Modern-day lighting in games, especially ray tracing, can be very taxing on even recent PC hardware. While The Sims 4 might be showing its age, the fact that it's over a decade old also means that it can be played even on underpowered PCs, and a change like this could put it out of reach of those fans.
Rumors have circulated in recent times that a Sims 4 remaster may be in the works at EA, though nothing concrete has been revealed. Since EA decided not to focus on creating a Sims 5 game and will instead continue to update The Sims 4, a remastered version could, in theory, look like these modified screenshots. If EA were concerned about alienating the portion of its userbase with weaker hardware, maintaining both the original version of The Sims 4 and a remastered version, similar to how games like Grand Theft Auto 5 have, could potentially make everyone happy. Those who don't like the changes or don't have the PCs to handle them could keep the original version, while those on the other side of the spectrum could instead upgrade.