While The Sims’ fourth instalment is still going strong, additional details about The Sims 5 – known as Project Rene – have been revealed at Maxis’ most recent Behind The Sims livestream, and while it looks to be quite a ways off still, there are a few additional details to unpack.

Project Rene is the current name of what Simmers everywhere are expecting to be The Sims’ fifth entry. While it’s no surprise that EA is keeping its cards quite close to its chest with such a popular franchise, the latest information provides more insight into the visuals of the game, the lighting style and its animation style – so let’s break down everything we know about this mystery Sims 5 title so far.

Click to enlarge

Is there a release date for Project Rene?

No, there is currently no information on when Simmers can expect Project Rene to release – we don’t even have a glimmer of a launch window.

While this will likely not be a surprise for many, we’ll be sure to update this section as more details are revealed.

What platforms will The Sims 5 be on?

In a previous blog post, Maxis shared that Project Rene is looking to be a PC and mobile-compatible title, stating: “With Project Rene, you’ll be able to play on a PC, put it down, and pick up right where you left off on a mobile device.”

Details about whether or not it will be available on consoles aren’t clear, but as EA shares more information in the future, we’ll update you right here.

Are there any Project Rene gameplay details?

News on any gameplay elements for The Sims 5 are very slim, as it’s still very clearly early on in its development cycle. Early development footage was showcased during The Sims Summit livestream back in October 2022, showing a future build-and-buy system with fully adjustable and inter-changing furniture pieces, alongside a custom colour mechanic and patterned swatches.

On June 27, 2023, the Behind The Sims livestream shared an additional glimpse into The Sims 5, with details on lighting, a hair colour customisation feature and more.

Lighting in Project Rene

During the overview – which starts at around 13:22 in the linked video above – Project Rene’s Art & Visual Director, credited only as Stu, shared an insight into the lighting within the game.

Exploring “new lighting technologies”, this is said to enable The Sims 5 team to “create highly customisable spaces and let players tell emotionally resonant stories”.

Additional reveals showed glimpses of differing animation styles for Sims shaking hands, with an emphasis on “read the room”, as told by Nawwaf, the title’s Animation Director. These prototype animations showed ‘active’, ‘passive’, and ‘secure’ variants, with each clearly presenting a different emotion when set side by side.

That’s not all though, as other studio members detailed an early look at prototype scenes both in and out of a Sim’s home, showing them navigating throughout the space – albeit in a very early format.

Project Rene: Hairstyle colour customisation

Perhaps one of the most exciting reveals has to be what was shared about one of the most important elements of showcasing a Sim’s style: hairstyles.

Producer Azure shared that they are looking into modelling a “wide variety of styles across the broad range of humanity”, with the visuals showcasing what looks to be a colour wheel of sorts, with the clip showing a flat brown colour transitioning into an ombre, brown to blonde look.

This is a huge departure from what Simmers are currently used to with The Sims 4, and looks to be closer to something more akin to The Sims 3.

So that’s everything we know so far about Project Rene. Be sure to check back regularly for the latest news and updates, or check out our The Sims homepage for the latest news and guides.