Console Sims 4 Cheats: How to Actually Get Them Working Without Breaking Your Game

Look, we’ve all been there. You spent three hours building a mid-century modern masterpiece in Oasis Springs, and suddenly your Sim is starving, the sink is spraying water everywhere, and you have exactly seven Simoleons left in the bank. It’s stressful. Playing The Sims 4 on a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X should be relaxing, but the grind for cash is real. That’s why console Sims 4 cheats exist. They aren't just for people who want to "break" the game; they're for people who want to actually enjoy the sandbox without the constant threat of a fire-induced Game Over screen.

But here is the thing.

Using cheats on a console is fundamentally different than on a PC. You don't have a keyboard—well, usually—and the game handles "enabling" cheats with a specific warning that scares a lot of players off. If you're hunting for trophies or achievements, you need to be careful. Once you flip that switch, there is no going back for that specific save file.

The Secret Handshake: Opening the Cheat Console

First, you have to actually find the command line. It’s not in a menu. On a controller, you need to press all four shoulder buttons at the same time. That means L1, L2, R1, and R2 on PlayStation, or LB, LT, RB, and RT on Xbox.

A thin white box pops up at the top of the screen.

This is your gateway. But wait. Before you type "motherlode" and expect magic, you have to tell the game you're serious. You need to type testingcheats true.

The game will then give you a scary pop-up. It basically says, "Hey, if you do this, you won't earn any more trophies on this save." If you’re a completionist, stop now. Or, better yet, make a "cheat save" and a "legit save" so you don't ruin your progress toward that Platinum trophy. Honestly, most of us just want the money, but it’s worth knowing the stakes.

Money Matters: Because We’re All Tired of the Professional Gardening Career

Let’s talk cash. The most famous console Sims 4 cheats revolve around the economy. If you just need a little boost for a new fridge, type kaching or rosebud. Both give you 1,000 Simoleons.

Need more? motherlode gives you 50,000.

But if you’re building a literal palace, those are amateur moves. Use the Money X cheat. Replace the "X" with any number. If you type Money 999999, your household funds immediately become exactly that amount. It doesn't add it; it sets it. It’s the fastest way to turn a starter shack into a mansion.

Making Every House Free

Sometimes you don't want to manage a budget at all. You just want that 50x50 lot in Willow Creek. While you’re in the Neighborhood view (before you actually buy a house), open that cheat box and type FreeRealEstate on.

Now every house on the map is free.

It feels like a fever dream. You can move a brand-new Sim into a $300,000 estate without working a single day at the fast-food joint. Just remember to turn it off with FreeRealEstate off if you want to play normally again later.

Manipulating the Physical World

Building is where most console players get frustrated. The grid is restrictive. You want to put a chair at a slight angle or overlap two plants so they look like a lush garden, but the game says "No."

Type bb.moveobjects.

This is the holy grail of building. It lets you place items anywhere, regardless of the "footprint" of the object. You can tuck a washing machine under a staircase or put a toilet in the middle of the kitchen if you’re feeling chaotic.

Then there are the "hidden" items. The Sims team populates the world with thousands of props—cars, trees, rocks, even grocery bags—that you can't usually buy.

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1. Type bb.showhiddenobjects to unlock "Debug" items.
2. Type bb.showliveeditobjects for even more environmental props.

To find them, just search "DEBUG" in the build mode search bar. You’ll see a massive list of random stuff that usually costs 0 Simoleons. It’s a literal game-changer for landscape artists.

Managing the Sims Themselves (Without the Drama)

Sims are needy. They have to pee constantly. They get sad because they saw a ghost. They’re exhausted after four hours of work. If you have testingcheats true active, you can interact with your Sim in a special way.

Hold O and press X (PlayStation) or hold B and press A (Xbox) while clicking on a Sim.

A "Cheat Sim" menu appears. From here, you can "Make Happy," which fills all their needs instantly. You can also "Disable Need Decay," which basically turns them into a robot that never sleeps, eats, or uses the bathroom. It’s perfect for when you’re trying to max out the Rocket Science skill and don't want to stop for a nap.

Skill Cheats: Skipping the Grind

Speaking of skills, the grind is brutal. To instantly max a skill, the syntax is a bit of a nightmare on a controller, but it works. You’ll need to type stats.set_skill_level [Skill Name] [1-10].

For example, stats.set_skill_level Major_Programming 10.

Suddenly, your Sim is a master hacker. Note that some skills use different names in the code. Photography is just Photography, but Fitness is Skill_Fitness. It’s a bit of a trial-and-error process, or you can just keep a list on your phone.

The Relationship Hack

Building a romance takes forever. Sometimes you just want two Sims to be soulmates now. Use modifyrelationship [Sim 1 Name] [Sim 2 Name] 100 LTR_Friendship_Main or LTR_Romance_Main.

It’s a lot of typing for a controller. Is it worth it? Probably. It beats "Check Out" and "Tell Joke" for three days straight.

Death and Taxes (And How to Avoid Them)

If your Sim is about to die from laughter—yes, that’s a real thing—you can save them. Or, if you want to turn them into a ghost on purpose, you can do that too. traits.equip_trait Ghost_OldAge will instantly turn them.

But if you just want them to be invincible, type death.toggle false.

Now, no matter how many fires they start or how many times they jump into a pool with no ladder, they’re staying alive. It removes the stakes, sure, but sometimes you just want a peaceful life.

Why Some Cheats Fail

A common mistake is forgetting that testingcheats true has to be re-entered every time you load a new zone or restart the game. If your commands aren't working, check that first. Also, capitalization doesn't usually matter, but spelling absolutely does. One typo in motherlode and nothing happens.

Another thing: some cheats require a Sim to be "active." If you're trying to give money to a household you aren't currently playing, it won't work.

Moving Forward With Your Newfound Power

Don't let the "cheating" label ruin the fun. The Sims 4 is a tool for storytelling. If your story requires a billionaire who lives in a basement and knows everything about herbalism, these cheats are the only way to get there without spending forty hours of real-time grinding.

Next Steps for Your Game:

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• Create a "Chaos Save": Save your current game, then start a new one where you enable testingcheats true immediately. Use it to experiment with bb.moveobjects and Money without worrying about your main legacy's achievements.
• Clean Up the Command Line: If the cheat box is annoying you, just press the four shoulder buttons again to close it. The cheats stay active even when the box is hidden.
• Master the Camera: While using cheats, try hitting the right analog stick (R3) to enter a free-cam mode. It lets you get those cinematic angles that are usually impossible on console.

Now, go get that dream house. You've worked hard enough in the real world; your Sims don't have to.