Base Layers, Infants, and Autonomy Toggle: Recap of The Sims 4 May Update Livestream
On the evening of May 6, 2026, The Sims 4 team held a live stream dedicated to the upcoming update releasing on May 12. Hosts Carlos, Morgan, and Alex spent nearly an hour demonstrating key changes – from new Base Layers in CAS to long-awaited autonomy fixes and a major overhaul of Infant behavior. They tested everything on a specially created family, and the alien Infant was named Eggward by the chat.
Additionally, the developers have already announced new kits created in collaboration with the Netflix series 'Bridgerton'. We've broken down all the details in this article.
Create‑a‑Sim: Base Layers
The biggest addition to Create‑a‑Sim is the new Base Layers category under Accessories. These items work similarly to tights, but for the upper body. They are worn under regular clothing and allow for more interesting combinations, especially with transparent items through which the base layer color will show.
What was added:
For Adult Sims – 8 options: a turtleneck, a t‑shirt, two tank tops, a binder, a sports bra, and a strapless bra.
For Children – 4 options: two tank tops and two long‑sleeved shirts.
For Toddlers – 2 options: a long‑sleeved shirt and a simple t‑shirt.
Important limitation: base layers cannot be combined with each other (you cannot wear a tank top over a turtleneck). They are exactly a base layer, over which you wear one top or a full‑body outfit. However, they work perfectly with all existing clothing from any packs.
Build Mode: New Playmat
A free Infant playmat will be added to Build Mode, featuring 9 total swatches – a patched pattern, beveled shapes, and sheep patterns.
The developers noted that Sims will now put Infants on the ground far less often, preferring playmats, cribs, and other designated spots.
Live Mode and Autonomy Fixes
The team confirmed that the update includes the top five community‑voted bug fixes from the Laundry List – including black photo fixes, Infant interaction issues, placement errors, and scandal fixes.
What changes in everyday Sim behavior:
Water. Sims will no longer autonomously get water from sinks. The hidden thirst motive that caused this has been removed. The developers may re‑enable it in a smarter way in the future, but for now it's completely off.
Dancing. Autonomous dancing has been further reduced – now at most once a day (the March update already lowered it).
Noise and sleep. If a Sim is woken up by a radio or TV, they will get up, turn it off, and go back to sleep.
Passing out. A Sim who has already gotten into bed will no longer pass out from exhaustion – they will simply sleep.
Infants and Caregiver Gameplay: Biggest Overhaul
The stream focused heavily on Infants. Developers reworked many interactions to make them faster, more logical, and less frustrating.
What was improved:
Pick‑up/put‑down loops and caregiver freezing. Adults will no longer endlessly pick up and put down Infants, and caregiving should no longer freeze Sims.
Action speed. Diaper changes and bottle feeding now take one third less time than before.
Cleanup. Sims will autonomously clean up bottles and dirty diapers after feeding or changing an Infant.
Interaction accessibility. When Infant needs are low, care interactions appear at the front of the pie menu – no more digging through tabs.
Milestones. Easier and faster to achieve.
Canceling "Check Infant". If "Check Infant" is first in the queue, it can now be canceled (the team is still working on canceling it from deeper in the queue).
Noise notifications. If an Infant is woken by a TV or radio, a pop‑up icon and a small buff appear above their head.
Sleeping Infants. When an Infant is sleeping, "Bathe" and "Change Diaper" actions are hidden from the pie menu.
New Settings and UI Improvements
Disable Caregiver Autonomy for Infants. A new option has been added in Game Settings.
When enabled, Sims will not autonomously feed, change, bathe, or carry Infants. They will still perform social interactions (play, talk).
The developers warn: if you disable autonomy, you are responsible for caring for the child – otherwise Social Services may intervene.
Backup saves. The backup system has been greatly expanded. Previously only the last five sessions were kept, and they were often overwritten. Now, next to the "Delete" button in Load Game, a "Recover Save" button will offer much older backups – up to one month old.
When Does the Update Release?
All the changes shown will be included in the patch releasing on May 12, 2026. The full list of over 150 fixes will be published on release day.
