To break a computer or any other object on purpose in The Sims 4, the fastest reliable way is a cheat: open the console, type testingcheats true, then Shift-click the object and pick the break option from the debug menu. The in-character way is the Sabotage interaction, but since the November 4, 2025 patch it is only available to a Sim who has completed the Deviance aspiration, so the old “Mischief level 3” advice no longer works. This guide covers how objects break naturally, both deliberate methods on PC and console, what the 2025 and 2026 patches changed, and what to do once the sparks start flying.
How Objects Break on Their Own
Most functional objects in The Sims 4 (computers, TVs, stereos, sinks, toilets, showers, tubs, fridges, stoves, dishwashers and washing machines) have a hidden chance to break each time a Sim uses them. Cheaper catalog items break more often than expensive ones, and heavy use across a big household means something fails most weeks. A broken plumbing object leaks and puddles the floor, a broken electronic sparks and can shock a Sim who tries to fix it without the Handiness skill.
Two things stop this. A Sim with enough Handiness can apply the Unbreakable upgrade, which needs upgrade parts and removes the break chance entirely (our guide on getting upgrade parts in The Sims 4 covers where they come from). And a bug that made objects break constantly was fixed: verified against the June 30, 2026 patch notes, Maxis resolved a simulation error that caused appliances and sinks to break repeatedly despite repair, travel or time passing. If a sink in an older save still fails every hour, that was the bug, not bad luck.
Weather is the other natural cause. With the Seasons expansion, lightning during a thunderstorm can strike outdoor objects and Sims, and community guides consistently report that larger objects and trees are the likeliest targets and that a lightning rod draws strikes away from the rest of the lot. Werewolves rampaging can also wreck objects, though per the November 2025 notes they can no longer break objects that have been upgraded.
The Sabotage Interaction and Its New Requirement
Sabotage is the deliberate, cheat-free method: a Sim clicks a computer, sink, toilet, shower or similar object, chooses Sabotage, and the object breaks during or right after the next use. The catch is who can do it. Verified against the November 4, 2025 patch notes (PC 1.119.109.1020, console version 2.23): “Sabotage interaction is no longer available on objects without completing Deviance Aspiration.”
In practice that means the Chief of Mischief aspiration, which sits in the Deviance category in Create a Sim and the aspiration panel. Completing it grants the Tormentor reward trait, and community guides describe Tormentor as the trait that unlocks Sabotage on plumbing and electronics around the house and on other lots. Raising the Mischief skill alone does not do it any more: EA’s own Mischief skill guide lists Clog Drain at level 5 as the closest thing to object vandalism the skill itself unlocks, and Clog Drain only affects sinks and bathtubs.
So the route for a legitimate saboteur is: give the Sim the Chief of Mischief aspiration, work through its milestones (pranks, mischief socials and Mischief skill levels), earn Tormentor, then Sabotage anything you like. If that sounds like a lot of effort for one broken PC, that is what the cheat is for.
Break Anything Instantly With Cheats
Testing cheats work on every platform. Per EA’s cheats FAQ:
- Open the cheat console. On PC and Mac press Ctrl + Shift + C. On PlayStation hold L1 + L2 + R1 + R2 together; on Xbox hold LB + LT + RB + RT.
- Type
testingcheats trueand press Enter. - Shift-click the object. On a controller, EA’s FAQ says to hold Circle and press X on PlayStation, or hold B and press A on Xbox.
The debug menu that appears is documented by EA for the Make Dirty and Make Clean options. Community cheat lists add that the same menu offers a break option on objects that can break, alongside reset and “make clean” entries; the label varies by object, so look for the entry that says Break or Make Broken. If no such entry appears, the object is not one the game can break. Note that turning on testing cheats disables achievements and trophies in that save, and only that save.
Our full Sims 4 cheats list covers the rest of the debug menu, including the money and need cheats that pair well with a chaos playthrough.
What Happens After It Breaks
A broken object shows a repair icon and stops working. Sims who try to use it get a Tense or Uncomfortable moodlet, plumbing floods the floor with puddles that need mopping, and a sparking electronic can electrocute a low-skill Sim who attempts a repair. Since the September 22, 2026 update, Sims also route to a sink in the same bathroom as the toilet, so a deliberately broken bathroom sink now sends them elsewhere instead of to the kitchen by default.
Fixing is a Handiness job: per EA’s Handiness skill guide, Sims can Repair broken objects from level 1, and from level 5 they have a lower chance of being electrocuted. If nobody in the household is handy, the phone’s Services menu hires a repair technician, and Build Mode can always sell the wreck and buy a replacement. Breaking things on purpose is a legitimate way to grind Handiness toward the upgrades that matter, and the Sims guide hub has our guide to maxing skills quickly if you would rather skip the grind.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Sabotage missing from my Sim’s menu? Since the November 4, 2025 patch, Sabotage requires completing the Deviance aspiration (Chief of Mischief) and earning the Tormentor trait. Mischief skill level alone no longer unlocks it.
Can I break a computer with cheats on PS5 or Xbox? Yes. Hold all four shoulder buttons to open the console, enter testingcheats true, then hold Circle and press X (PlayStation) or hold B and press A (Xbox) on the object to open the debug menu.
Does the Clumsy trait make Sims break objects? The trait’s in-game description says Clumsy Sims fail more often at physical activities and laugh at failure rather than getting upset. It is not described as raising the object break chance, so do not rely on it.
Why do my appliances keep breaking right after I repair them? That was a known simulation error, fixed in the June 30, 2026 patch. Update the game; the fix applies to existing saves.
Can lightning break my Sim’s computer? With Seasons installed, lightning strikes objects outdoors during thunderstorms. An indoor computer is safe from strikes; a lightning rod on the lot draws strikes away from other objects.