inZOI’s Console Launch Puts It Back In the Running for Next Big Life Sim

For years, The Sims franchise has been the go-to life sim, and for good reason. But as The Sims 4 carries on its life cycle with no Sims 5 in sight, many life sim fans want something different. Many hoped that Krafton’s hyper-realistic inZOI could be another beloved entry in the life sim space. But with demanding PC specs and limited Early Access content, the game didn’t catch on as much as it could have. Now, inZOI is planning a console release, and frankly, that’s the best next step the game could take.

inZOI first launched into early access in late March 2025. The game’s initial week was impressive, easily passing 1 million downloads. But concurrent players on Steam dropped off fairly quickly, and the game hasn’t yet shown the staying power of its primary competitor. But things could be about to turn around for the game. Shortly after announcing the details for its first free DLC, inZOI has also confirmed an upcoming console release.

inZOI‘s PC Specs Alienated Its Target Audience

Despite social media jokes about buying a superpowered PC just to play The Sims 4, the reality is that many cozy gamers don’t have a particularly powerful rig. Games like Stardew Valley and The Sims 4 are cozy gaming staples, and neither requires a particularly impressive PC. My ancient grad school laptop still ran The Sims 4 just fine before I replaced it with a gaming PC, and that thing sounded like a helicopter towards the end of its life.

inZOI, by comparison, is pretty demanding. It’s not the most intense game you’ll find on Steam by a long shot, but many Sims fans were shocked to see the game’s specs when they were first revealed. Some gave up immediately, but others were among those 1 million downloads, only to realize their PC couldn’t keep up. Or that they had to seriously sacrifice the game’s graphics settings to keep things moving.

As much as gamers are impressed with inZOI‘s graphics, its hardware demands no doubt alienated some of its core audience. Like many other life sim fans, I was frustrated to realize that my relatively new PC wouldn’t be able to deliver an optimal performance for inZOI. Many of the people who most want to play a game like inZOI may not have a gaming computer capable of running it, and that’s no doubt part of why the player base dropped off so quickly. Even adding more content, like the upcoming DLC, won’t solve the problem if gamers aren’t able to run the game as easily as they can run competitors like The Sims 4 or To Pixelia.

Launching on PS5 & Xbox Could Give inZOI A Second Life, But It Needs Switch 2

I’ll admit it. I jumped for joy when Krafton confirmed that inZOI is coming to PS5. We don’t have an exact release date for the PS5 version of inZOI just yet, but we do know it’s coming in 2026. Krafton is also working on an Xbox version, but hasn’t yet confirmed the details to make that announcement fully official. Bringing this game to console sooner rather than later is a genius move, one that just might put this game back on everyone’s radar.

Despite getting more into PC gaming in recent years, I’ll forever be a console gamer at heart. There’s just something soothing about not having to double-check specs before grabbing a game. If it’s available on my PS5, my PS5 can run it. Usually pretty well, though of course the Switch proves not everything will run smoothly on every console. Bringing a console version of inZOI will massively expand its potential audience, making the game available to people who may not have a powerful gaming PC but just might have a console at home.

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inZOI Shows Off First Free DLC (And It’s Got Some Fan Favorite Sims 4 Features)

The Sims 4 is available on consoles, and despite being known primarily as a PC game, it’s pretty popular on those platforms as well. So, the audience for a life sim on console is certainly there. But I do wonder if Krafton is considering what it would take to bring inZOI to Switch 2. The Switch, and now the Switch 2, is the most popular console for those who enjoy cozy games like The Sims. And that’s where inZOI could get a leg up on its competition. The Sims 4 still isn’t available on the Switch family of consoles. If inZOI landed on the cozy gamers’ favorite console, it could be a massive win for life sim fans and for the game itself.

At any rate, inZOI coming to PS5 and likely Xbox is a massive move forward for the life sim. Despite its lower concurrent player numbers, the game still has the attention of many fans of the genre. If more players are able to actually experience what it has to offer, it could just put inZOI in the running for the best new life sim.