If you're searching for "SIMA 2 download," "how to get SIMA 2," or "SIMA 2 access," here's the direct answer: SIMA 2 is not currently available for download and has no public access channel.
This isn't due to technical issues, regional restrictions, or a paywall. It's DeepMind's standard research release process—publish papers to showcase capabilities, gradually expand access, then potentially open to the public.
This article explains: why access is restricted, who can use it, when it might become available, and what alternatives exist if you want to try similar technology now.
Current Access Status (Honest Transparency)
What SIMA 2 Does NOT Offer
Let's be crystal clear—none of these access methods exist:
- ❌ No Download Links - There are no installation packages, executables, or source code for SIMA 2 on DeepMind's website, GitHub, or any third-party platforms.
- ❌ No Web API - Unlike OpenAI's GPT API or Anthropic's Claude API, SIMA 2 has no public API endpoint.
- ❌ No Online Demo - There's no web interface where you can test SIMA 2.
- ❌ No Open Registration - Unlike ChatGPT Plus or Midjourney, SIMA 2 doesn't have a "sign up → pay → use" pathway.
- ❌ Not in Google Products - SIMA 2 is not available in Google AI Studio, Vertex AI, or any Google Cloud services. It's purely a research project.
- ❌ Source Code Not Open-Sourced - Searching "Google DeepMind SIMA 2" on GitHub won't find an official repository.
The Only Access Method: Directed Partnerships
SIMA 2 is currently only available to:
- Academic Research Institutions - University labs with formal research agreements with DeepMind
- Game Studio Partners - Game developers participating in SIMA research (currently known to include Coffee Stain Studios)
- DeepMind Internal Teams - Researchers, engineers, and product managers working on the SIMA project
If you're not in one of these three categories, you cannot access SIMA 2.
Why Restricted Access?
Reason 1: Game Publisher Partnership Agreements
SIMA 2 was trained on 9 commercial games: No Man's Sky, Goat Simulator 3, Valheim, Satisfactory, Teardown, Space Engineers, Hydroneer, Eco, and Wobbly Life. For each game, DeepMind signed agreements with developers.
These agreements likely include:
- Intellectual Property Protection Clauses - Preventing reverse engineering or asset extraction
- Anti-Cheat Commitments - Ensuring SIMA 2 isn't weaponized into game cheats
- Commercial Competition Concerns - Protecting against competitors analyzing game mechanics
Studios agreed to cooperate under the condition: "research use only, no public release."
Reason 2: Massive Computational Costs
Running SIMA 2 costs far more than you'd expect:
- Gemini 2.5 Flash Lite Inference Cost - Processing game visuals, understanding instructions, and generating actions multiple times per second
- Game Rendering Costs - Server-side game execution, screen capture, and low-latency transmission
Rough Estimate: Running ChatGPT costs ~$0.001-0.01 per conversation. Running SIMA 2 costs ~$0.1-1 per minute of gameplay.
If opened publicly with 10,000 concurrent users playing 30 minutes each: $150,000/day - unsustainable cost.
Reason 3: Safety and Ethical Considerations
SIMA 2 is an early form of "embodied AI." In the future, it could control robots, automate software, or execute complex real-world tasks.
Potential Risks:
- Misuse risk - Automated malicious behavior (spam, click fraud, DDoS attacks)
- Security risk - Loss of control in critical systems (medical robots, industrial equipment)
- Employment impact - Large-scale automation of certain jobs
DeepMind needs to thoroughly test safety mechanisms in controlled environments before any public release.
Reason 4: Standard Research Release Process
Looking at DeepMind's history, this is normal pacing:
- AlphaGo (2016) - Never open-sourced or commercialized
- AlphaStar (2019) - Never open-sourced, no API
- Gemini (2023-2024) - Took ~5 months from research to public release
- SIMA 1 (March 2024) - Still no public access as of November 2025
Projected SIMA 2 Timeline:
- November 2025: Research release (now)
- Mid-2026: Possibly expand partnerships
- 2027: Possibly closed Beta (API form, requires application)
- 2028+: Possibly public (or remain research-only)
Conservative estimate: At least 1-2 years before any limited access.
If Released, What Form Might It Take?
Scenario 1: API Format (Most Likely)
Similar to OpenAI's GPT API, with possible pricing of $0.10-1.00 per minute or $0.50-5.00 per task.
Scenario 2: Google Cloud Service (Second Most Likely)
Integrated into Vertex AI for game studios, AI researchers, and enterprise clients.
Scenario 3: Open-Source Version (Low Probability)
Why unlikely: Game publisher concerns, cheat development risk, and DeepMind's history of keeping research proprietary.
Scenario 4: Remain Research-Only (Also Possible)
Like AlphaGo and AlphaStar - technology integrated into other products but never offered as standalone service.
Want Similar Tech Now? Open-Source Alternatives
Since SIMA 2 isn't available, here's what you can try today:
Option 1: MineDojo (Recommended for Beginners)
- What it does: AI framework for Minecraft with natural language instructions
- Advantages: Fully open-source (MIT License), pre-trained models, well-documented
- Disadvantages: Minecraft-only, weaker performance than SIMA 2
- Resources: minedojo.org | GitHub
- Difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐ (Requires basic Python and Minecraft knowledge)
Option 2: Voyager (Recommended for Advanced Users)
- What it does: NVIDIA's GPT-4-based Minecraft AI that autonomously explores and learns skills
- Advantages: Uses latest LLM (GPT-4), strong capabilities, open-source
- Disadvantages: Requires OpenAI API key (has cost), still limited to Minecraft
- Resources: Paper | GitHub
- Difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Requires understanding of LLMs and Minecraft API)
Option 3: OpenAI VPT (Video Pre-Training)
- What it does: Learns to play Minecraft by watching YouTube videos
- Advantages: Conceptually closest to SIMA, model already open-sourced
- Disadvantages: Requires massive compute, slow inference, lacks maintenance
- Resources: Blog | GitHub
- Difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Requires deep learning and large-scale training experience)
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Someone claims to have SIMA 2 download on forums—is it real?
100% fake. These are likely malware, phishing links, or scams. If SIMA 2 goes public, it will be announced on DeepMind's official website and covered by all major tech media.
2. Can I apply to be a DeepMind beta tester?
Currently no public application channel exists. Known access methods are through academic partnerships or game studio collaborations only.
3. Will SIMA 2 suddenly become free like ChatGPT?
Very unlikely. SIMA 2 requires game rendering environments (high cost) and involves game publisher agreements. More likely forms: paid API, enterprise service, or remain research-only.
4. Will SIMA 2 be used to develop game cheats?
Technically possible but practically very difficult. Obstacles include access restrictions, high running costs, human-level performance (not superhuman), and easy detection by game companies.
Summary: Three Key Takeaways
- SIMA 2 is not downloadable now and won't be for the short term - Conservative estimate: at least 1-2 years. Restricted access protects partner interests, controls costs, ensures safety.
- If you really want to experience similar tech, open-source alternatives exist - MineDojo, Voyager, and OpenAI VPT are all worth trying, though not as capable as SIMA 2.
- Focus on long-term value, not just "can I download it" - The technological direction SIMA 2 represents (embodied AI, vision-language models, cross-environment generalization) will influence the next 5-10 years of AI development.