The Sims 4 Hotfix May 21, 2026: Patch Notes, Bug Fixes, and Console Gallery Problems
Just over a week after the massive May update, The Sims 4 developers released a small hotfix. The patch does not add new features, but fixes several unpleasant bugs that appeared after the previous patch or had been annoying players for a long time. The focus is on navigation in CAS, the Eyedropper Tool in Build Mode, and scrolling on controllers. As for the Gallery issues on consoles, developers are only promising to fix them in the future.
Earlier, we covered the May update with over 150 fixes, the Infant overhaul, and new Base Layers in CAS in detail, as well as wrote about the bugs it brought.
Release Date and Technical Details
The hotfix was released on May 21, 2026 and is available on all platforms — PC, Mac, PlayStation, and Xbox.
Update versions:
PC: 1.124.63.1020
Mac: 1.124.63.1220
Console: 2.34
As expected, the patch is small: the developers warned that this was a hotfix for priority issues, not a major update. It should not affect the functionality of mods and custom content.
What Was Fixed in Create a Sim
Clothing categories now "jump" to the equipped item.
Previously, when you opened a clothing category in CAS, the game would not scroll to the item that was already equipped on the Sim. You had to manually find the right item in a long list. This is now fixed: you immediately see which collection the current outfit belongs to, and you can quickly replace or adjust it.
Scrolling on controllers has been fixed.
Console players and those using gamepads on PC reported that scrolling simply locked up when entering certain categories in CAS. This issue has now been resolved, and catalog navigation works as intended again.
What Was Fixed in Build Mode
The Eyedropper Tool now works correctly.
If you used the Eyedropper Tool to copy an object, the game would not "jump" to the selected object in the catalog. You had to search for it manually — inconvenient, especially if the object was from a kit or expansion. This bug is now fixed: the Eyedropper Tool immediately opens the correct position in the catalog.
The Gallery: Console Players Still Waiting
The developers confirmed that they are aware of issues with the Gallery on PlayStation and Xbox: it freezes, becomes unresponsive, and sometimes stops working altogether. EA's official statement says:
"For those playing on PlayStation and Xbox: we know some of you are experiencing freezing in the Gallery. We're doing everything we can to release another update as soon as possible to fix this."
Thus, the current hotfix does not include fixes for the Gallery on consoles — these should be expected in one of the upcoming updates. On PC and Mac, according to feedback, there were no serious Gallery issues after the May patch.
Other Fixes: Gallery Time‑out
The developers also fixed an error that sometimes caused a time‑out message when uploading content to the Gallery. This issue has now been resolved and should no longer occur.
Community Reaction
The hotfix was received with restraint. Players who encountered the listed issues confirm that they have indeed been fixed. However, some users in the comments express dissatisfaction that the Gallery bugs on consoles were not fixed this time, and also mention other, still unresolved errors.
One user wrote: "It would be nice if they fixed the 'contains new items' bug in CAS and Build Mode, and also allowed downloading tattoos from the Gallery on consoles."
Another added: "Some items in CAS cannot be copied to other outfits (for example, horns from the fairy set). It's tedious to reapply them every time."
Nevertheless, the fact that developers promptly released the update and acknowledged the Gallery issues on consoles inspires cautious optimism.
The May 21 hotfix is a small but useful patch that fixes several noticeable bugs. The developers are acting promptly: issues reported by players were fixed within a week of the May update. The main complaint right now is the unresolved Gallery bugs on consoles, but EA has already confirmed they are working on them. We'll have to wait for the next update.
