The Sims 4 Pre-Load Now Live on Origin

Ahead of next week's release, The Sims 4 pre-load is now live on Origin for those in North America. Earlier today, EA noted that the pre-load will be rolling out on a regional basis, and as usual, those in North America get first move action.

Fans of the series on Reddit reported the pre-load went live two hours prior to writing. The Sims 4 pre-load is an 8.57 GB download – not too terrible in this day and age where game downloads can balloon to 10-20 GB.

Here's the release schedule for all regions, according to EA:

• September 2: North America, Central Asia, and Russia
• September 4: Australia, Japan, and Europe (excluding the UK)
• September 5: New Zealand, India, South Africa, and the UK

Still looking to pre-order? A few deals are available if you know where to look.

Pre-ordering from Best Buy will net you The Sims 4 Limited Edition, which comes with the "Life of the Party" DLC pack as added incentive. Best Buy is also throwing in their $10 rewards certificate as an extra bonus. For Best Buy Gamers Club Unlocked members, you get a spiffy 20% off. Note the Unlocked membership cost $60 per year, though, so if you're thinking of joining for the discount, you'll have to buy at least two games per year to make it worthwhile.

Those still on the fence about the game can check out the live stream happening now on the official The Sims live stream channel.