Electronics

Electronics is a Buy mode category in which the player can purchase stereos, computers, TVs, video game hardware, alarm clocks, fire and burglar alarms, phones, and other electronic devices for their Sims. Most of these items fulfill the fun motive for Sims.

Some classes of electronics, such as TVs and computers, may occasionally break down. Broken electronics may be repaired by a hired Repairman or by controllable Sims. Unlike in the case of plumbing objects, Sims run the risk of electrocution if their Mechanical or Handiness skill is too low when repairing an electronic object.

Electronics will always function normally and do not require any visible power outlets or power lines to operate. A removed power outage scenario in The Sims 2 likely would have involved electronics being unusable for a period of time during the scenario. In The Sims 4, a household's electricity will be cut if the bills are not paid within 48 hours, which will result in all electronic objects losing power.

Certain objects that are electrical-powered aren't necessary classified under electronics category. For instance, a microphone is located under 'Hobbies' sub-category under 'Creativity', meanwhile all the small appliance are found in their own category.

The Sims

 * Entertainment


 * Video
 * Contains a range of televisions and computers


 * Audio
 * Contains the jukebox and a range of speakers.


 * Phones
 * Contains a range of telephones.


 * Other
 * Contains fire and burglar alarms.

The Sims 2
In The Sims 2, the electronics category contains five subcategories:
 * Entertainment
 * This subcategory contains various electronic toys and games designed to fulfill only Sims' fun needs, including remote control vehicles, video games, pinball machines and arcade games.


 * TVs and Computers
 * A fairly self-explanatory subcategory containing a variety of televisions and computers, ranging from basic sets costing only a few hundred Simoleons to large, expensive flat screens. These have much greater use with various useful interactions than entertainment.


 * Audio
 * This subcategory contains all the stereos and speaker systems Sims need to listen to music. If Nightlife is installed, this category also contains the karaoke machine.


 * Small Electronics
 * This subcategory contains various clocks and phones as well as a smoke detector and burglar alarm.


 * Miscellaneous
 * This subcategory covers all other items which don't fit into the other categories, in this case mainly those intended for use on community lots, such as vending machines, cash registers and a ticket machine.

The Sims 3
There are four electronics subcategories in The Sims 3:
 * Televisions
 * This subcategory contains a range of television sets.


 * Computers
 * This subcategory contains a range of computers and laptops.


 * Audio
 * This subcategory contains various stereos.


 * Miscellaneous
 * This subcategory contains burglar alarms, fire alarms, clocks, game consoles and arcade games.

The Sims 4
There are five electronics subcategories in The Sims 4:
 * Televisions
 * Various television sets can be found in this subcategory, along with some TV stands on which to place them.


 * Computers
 * This subcategory contains a range of computers and tablets.


 * Audio
 * This subcategory contains various stereo and speaker systems.


 * Alarms
 * This subcategory contains a fire alarm and sprinkler system. Unlike in previous games, there are no burglar alarms.


 * Miscellaneous
 * This subcategory, as always, covers items which do not fit into the other subcategories, although some items, such as the tablet computer, appear both in this category and another. Also, as there is no longer a separate 'entertainment' subcategory, gaming systems can now be found here. Other than that it mainly consists of clocks, and, if Get to Work is installed, a variety of scientific machines and cash registers.