The Sims 4 gets a big free patch ahead of new High School Years expansion

polygon.com:

The Sims 4 got a major base game update on Tuesday ahead of the High School Years expansion pack launching Thursday. The patch is out now, and free for everyone.

Your Sims won’t be able to attend Copperdale High School if you don’t buy the expansion pack, which means no prom, cheer team, or studying for tests. But there’s still a new phone and body hair!

Here’s everything new in The Sims4 as of Tuesday:

The phone in The Sims 4 has been updated with a new interface, but all the old functionality is still available. EA says customizing backgrounds and case colors is “easier than ever.”

Sims teenaged and older can now have body hair — without being a werewolf. Hair can be added to a Sim’s arms, legs, torso, and back. These options are available in the body section of the Create-A-Sim menu.

By the way, body hair can grow — a new feature. That means trimming body hair is a thing, too.

The Sims 4’s Create-A-Sim menu now supports more sexual orientations. You can get to these options from the More Details part of the Customize Gender option. The way it’s set up allows for a lot of experiences, including asexual and aromantic Sims. In this menu, there are three selections:

Having these options independent of each other allows for plenty of variation; for instance, a Sim that’s option to exploring romantically could explore romantic attraction with other genders.

Electronic Arts has noted previously that The Sims 4 is still limited, technically, by a male and female binary — even though you can use nonbinary gender pronouns. The developers said this update is the first update in a commitment to updating gender customization in The Sims 4. The system may be expanded to support other genders later.

The Sims 4 is removing “whims”