The Sims 4 Laundry List: 150+ Fixes, Infant Improvements, Base Layers, and Black Photo Fix
The Sims 4 developers have released the long-awaited "Laundry List" — and it's much more extensive than usual. Instead of just a few lines, they're promising over 150 fixes, several new mechanics, and even free content. And, it seems, the team is finally tackling things that have irritated players for years. We've gathered the most important and interesting features coming to the game on May 12.
To celebrate the update, the developers even released a video showing off the main changes:
Infants and Toddlers: What We've Been Waiting For
Judging by the list, developers have dedicated the most attention to the littlest Sims — and that's wonderful. They've fixed a ton of bugs and added things many have asked for.
For example, Sims will no longer play "pick up and put down" with Infants. Previously, they could pick up an Infant, immediately put them back down, then pick them up again a second later… That should now stop. They've also fixed the issue where multiple adults would try to care for an Infant simultaneously, getting in each other's way.
A very important change: Infant and Toddler Needs will no longer decrease when the Active Sim (and the player) is on another lot, away from them. Previously, you could leave for work, and your child might start starving even though an adult seemed to stay with them. This will no longer happen.
A new Infant Playmat has been added — Sims will now prefer placing Infants on playmats instead of the floor. A small but nice touch.
And finally: Feeding an Infant will now take about fifteen minutes (Sim Time), which is half the time it previously took. Changing an Infant's diaper at the Changing Table takes about a third less time than it used to. Honestly, it's hard to believe Infants have been so thoroughly reworked.
Another cool detail: Infant care interactions (Give Bottle, Change Diaper, etc.) should now appear on the first Pie Menu when an Infant's Needs are low — no more hunting through multiple tabs.
For those tired of Sims automatically rushing to soothe children, a new toggle has been added in the Options Menu to "Disable Caregiver Autonomy for Infants." When enabled, all care is manual (though Social Services may still intervene if a child is completely neglected). But now you'll know it's your own doing, not a bug.
Especially nice: Infant Milestones will no longer disappear or be reset when that Infant's Household is visited while playing another Household. And unlocked Milestone progress will now be respected even when the Infant is not at their Residential lot. This fix is retroactive in old saves where the bug had previously been occurring.
Base Layers: Over 380 Variants!
This is news many didn't expect. A new category is being added to Create a Sim called Base Layers, which will let Simmers express themselves by broadening their fashion choices, providing covered options, and improving gender expression with the layerable binder. What does this mean? You can now wear any top under a sweater, leggings under a dress, and — most importantly — cover up "bare" areas when wearing revealing outfits.
And it's not just a couple of t‑shirts. There will be 8 Base Layer options for Adults, 4 Base Layer options for Children, and 2 Base Layer options for Toddlers, all in a variety of colors! With 380+ new Base Layer variants (including all swatches) that can be layered, this gives players exponential new outfit combinations. You'll be able to create completely new looks using old items.
Sleep, Dancing, and Odd Behavior: What's Fixed in Autonomy
One of the most annoying things in the game was that Sims would dance anywhere, anytime — even at funerals. Now the developers say: "Sims now dance far less (about once per day)". So they won't stop entirely, but at least the overuse should stop.
Another issue: NPCs could easily enter your house… to drink water. This has been fixed. Unfortunately, this fix was unable to be retroactive for saves in which this gameplay was already occurring.
Speaking of water: Sims will no longer autonomously drink water from sinks on repeat. That was also getting tiresome.
Now about sleep. Sims woken by a nearby TV or radio will now turn the device off and return to sleep. Previously, they might get up and just stand there.
Also fixed an issue where exhausted Sims could get into bed but still collapse from fatigue. Sims who fall asleep in bed will now remain there instead of getting up and passing out
Black Photos — Finally!
A topic raised by thousands of players. Photos in the game would turn into black squares, and no one knew how to fix it. Even after several updates, the problem persisted for some players.
The developers have now implemented 6 fixes addressing different causes of texture loss, along with additional QV testing on paintings and photos to catch previously unreported cases. They promise to continue monitoring.
The Sims 4: Royalty & Legacy: Balls, Masks, and Dynasties
Those who bought the latest expansion will also receive a batch of fixes.
For example, Sims will now arrive wearing the selected dress code to a Grand Ball event. Previously, they might show up in everyday clothing or even pajamas. The developers acknowledge there are still some tagging issues on certain items, but the majority has been fixed.
The Mask option is no longer disabled after entering Create a Sim to change the Host's outfit for a Grand Ball event. The mask icon in the event UI has also been restored.
The "Poor Leadership" Sentiment will no longer be added to the Dynasty Head without reason. Offspring of pre-made Dynasties will now correctly be added to a Dynasty.
What Else? Gallery, Saves, and Future Plans
The Gallery's default sorting has been reverted back to "Newest".
The team continues to fight save file corruption. Following the March 10 update, Scratch files were moved from Documents to AppData for PC players to prevent conflicts with cloud backup services, and they're working to bring similar changes to Mac.
However, the fix for the issue where partnered Sims could form an unintended family relationship upon entering CAS has not yet been completed — they're still investigating and promise it will be included in a future update.
Additionally, the developers have noticed that Sims have become overly aggressive and frequently insult each other. They say that in their testing this was often tied to the "Mean" Dynasty Ideal, but they will continue to monitor the situation.
When Does It Release and Where to Discuss?
he update goes live on May 12, 2026. Already on May 5 a special Dev Q&A will be held in the Sims Discord, where they'll showcase the changes live and answer questions. The next day, May 6 at 10:00 AM PT a Twitch livestream will feature a full walkthrough of the upcoming Quality of Life Update.
The full list of over 150 fixes will be published on patch day (May 12). Until then, stay tuned for more news!
