The Sexual Orientation feature in The Sims 4 lets you define your Sim’s romantic preferences and assign specific attraction parameters. Sims can now be straight, gay, bisexual, asexual, or aromantic.
You can select which gender your Sim will be romantically attracted to and who they’re interested in messing around with.
Making The Sims 4 as inclusive as possible has always been a primary focus for both EA and Maxis.
The game now supports a wide variety of perspectives and stories when it comes to discovering and exploring your Sim’s romantic orientation.
Here’s a breakdown of the options available under the Sexual Orientation tab in Create-a-Sim.
⇒ Quick Navigation:
- How to use the Sexual Orientation settings in The Sims 4
- This Sim is exploring romantically
- How to change romantic exploration in The Sims 4
- Romantic options may shift through gameplay
- This Sim is interested in messing around with
- How to create asexual Sims
- How to create aromatic Sims
- My Sim is attracted to multiple genders but is only interested in physical intimacy with one
- How to make a Sim romantically interested in another Sim
- What is my Sim’s default romantic orientation?
- Can I change my Sim’s Sexual Orientation after creation?
- Can I disable the Sexual Orientation feature in Sims 4?
- NPC romantic orientation
How to use the Sexual Orientation settings in The Sims 4
The Sims 4 lets you specify which gender your Sim is naturally attracted to. Sims can be attracted to men, women, both, or none.
These options are available under the “This Sim is romantically attracted to” section.
If a Sim that’s not matching your orientation settings tries to flirt with your Sim, they’ll get rejected.
The attraction system is currently gender binary. This may be a bit confusing given the fact that The Sims 4 already supports gender-neutral pronouns.
The reason for this limitation is primarily technical. This new feature is based on a game architecture that’s eight years old.
Your Sims have a gender that’s automatically assigned to them when you create them in CAS.
EA will expand the attraction options in the future so as to add additional gender identities.
This Sim is exploring romantically
The romantic exploration option lets you decide whether your Sim’s romantic orientation can shift through gameplay.
How to change romantic exploration in The Sims 4
To modify your Sim’s romantic exploration preferences, navigate to the section labeled “This Sim is exploring romantically.”
If you select Yes, who your Sim is attracted to can change as they meet new Sims and encounter new situations.
If you select No, your Sim will reject other Sims that don’t meet their attraction types.
For example, if your Sim is romantically attracted to men, and a female Sim tries to flirt with them, the rejection mechanism activates automatically.
The romantic exploration option will help your Sims figure out their sexual orientation. Some Sims are very firm in their identity. They know who they are and which gender they’re naturally attracted to. They’re not questioning things anymore.
Romantic options may shift through gameplay
Some Sims need more time to figure themselves out. If your Sim is not sure about their sexual orientation, this may shift through gameplay thanks to the option to explore romantically.
Sims that are exploring romantically may shift orientations as they encounter more situations and date more Sims.
Sims with exploring set to “Yes”, will still have an initial Sexual Orientation setting per the previous step, but it can change through gameplay. As your Sim experiences romantic interactions, they may find themselves in a very different place than where they started.
This Sim is interested in messing around with
This option is all about physical intimacy. Use it to decide who your Sim can woohoo with. Your Sim will reject other Sims that do not meet their Mess Around interests.
If your Sim won’t woohoo, check their romantic orientation preferences.
If you want to create an asexual or romantic Sim, this is the right option to use.
How to create asexual Sims
You can have a Sim that is naturally attracted to a specific genre but is not at all interested in physical interactions.
To make your Sim asexual, go to Sexual Orientation tab in CAS and uncheck both Men and Women under This Sim is interested in messing around with.
⇒ Learn more: Can unflirty Sims have relationships or marry?
How to create aromatic Sims
You can also have a Sim that’s not interested in romance, but only interested in physical intimacy.
To create a Sim an aromatic Sim that is only interested in messing around, go to the Sexual Orientation tab in CAS, and uncheck both options under This Sim is romantically attracted to.
As EA explains:
This setting [My Sim is interested in WooHoo with]determines who your Sim can WooHoo with. If you’re trying to tell the story of an Asexual Sim, you could leave all options unchecked. On the flip side, you could tell the story of an Aromantic Sim by selecting WooHoo interests, but leaving all romantic attraction boxes unchecked.
⇒ Fun Fact: Did you know that Sims can die from WooHoo?
My Sim is attracted to multiple genders but is only interested in physical intimacy with one
To create a Sim that’s attracted to multiple genders but only interested in physical intimacy with one, click on the Sexual orientation tab in CAS and check all the gender options under This Sim is romantically attracted to.
Then, go to This is interested in Mess Around with and tick the checkbox related to the gender your Sim is interested in physical intimacy with.
How to make a Sim romantically interested in another Sim
To make a Sim romantically interested in another Sim, make them interact and engage in positive social interactions.
Use romantic interactions to flirt and show romantic interest. Choose options like “Flirt,” “Compliment Appearance,” or “Confess Attraction” to express your Sim’s romantic intentions.
What is my Sim’s default romantic orientation?
By default, Sims start out with the following sexual orientation settings in Sims 4:
- They’re not particularly romantically attracted to either gender
- They are exploring romantically
- They’re interested in messing around with both men and women
Of course, if you don’t like these default settings, you can change them in CAS before you start your gameplay or at any time during the gameplay.
Can I change my Sim’s Sexual Orientation after creation?
You can easily change your Sim’s romantic orientation settings after creation. Click on a mirror or dresser, select Change Sim, enter CAS, and then manually edit your Sim’s romantic preferences.
These options are available under the ellipsis menu under the gender selection option.
Can I disable the Sexual Orientation feature in Sims 4?
EA confirmed that Sims 4 players cannot disable the romantic orientation feature.
This is because various romantic identities are a fact of life and the game wants to capture as many of them as possible.
While we try to give players the option to toggle certain gameplay features, LGBTQIA+ identities are a fact of life and not a toggle to be switched on and off.
NPC romantic orientation
Non-playable characters in The Sims 4 have their own romantic orientation.
To find out their romantic orientation, ask them about their preferences for romance, WooHoo, or casual relationships.
Conclusion
Sims 4 players can use the Sexual Orientation settings to better define their Sim’s romantic preferences. Sims can now be straight, gay, bisexual, asexual, or romantic. Romantic options can also shift through gameplay.
These romantic settings make the game more inclusive capturing a variety of romantic identities.
Speaking of which, if you want to make your Sim flirty, you can use special items to get the job done.
Updated in June 2023.