Technical analysts report that The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered suffers from substantial performance issues on all console versions, leaving fans anticipating a critical update.
The Oblivion Remaster has seen a remarkably successful launch, attracting over four million players and maintaining a 'Very Positive' user rating on Steam. Yet, one recurring complaint consistently emerges: performance inconsistencies.
Digital Foundry conducted a comprehensive technical review of Oblivion Remastered across every console and discovered major flaws in every version. DF's Thomas Morgan commented on Virtuos's Unreal Engine 5 conversion:
No platform is spared of issues: whether it's PS5, PS5 Pro, or either Xbox Series machine, all struggle with traversal hitches while roaming the open world. Secondly, there's major sub-60fps frame-rates, where I've also discovered that performance slowly degrades with more playing time - quite possibly down to a memory leak. And finally, software freezes are the icing on the cake, with all PlayStation and Xbox platforms crashing to the system menu on loading a save one too many times.
How do these issues appear during gameplay? According to Digital Foundry, an extended play session with more continuous gameplay performs noticeably worse than a freshly restarted game. Cycling through saved games in this "charged" state also introduces bugs, Morgan noted. Intriguingly, this can even cause the camera to sit too high while riding a horse—a problem that can be resolved by restarting the game.
The finding that performance deteriorates over time, possibly due to a memory leak, is especially worrying. The crashes when repeatedly loading a saved game also constitute a serious problem.
The community's hope is that Bethesda will resolve these issues promptly, especially as players invest more time in this expansive fantasy RPG and become more likely to encounter these performance hurdles.
"It's a dire position for any remaster to be in and developer Virtuos needs to address the game's stability - the crashes - as a priority," Morgan emphasized.
Digital Foundry raises challenging questions in its analysis, implying the Oblivion Remaster may have been "rushed to market." There also appears to be a patch discrepancy, with a hotfix released for Xbox Series X that remains unavailable for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro.
This is a harsh critique of the console versions, but what about the PC release? DF had already published its PC performance analysis, describing it as "dire." It's worthwhile to review their full analysis for deeper insights.
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Despite the performance troubles, Oblivion Remastered is a commercial success. It became the third best-selling game of 2025 in the United States after just one week, following its surprise release on April 22. On the 2025 sales chart, it trails only Monster Hunter: Wilds and Assassin's Creed: Shadows.
Developed by remake specialists Virtuos using Unreal Engine 5, Oblivion Remastered boasts a lengthy list of visual and feature upgrades. It runs at 4K and 60 frames per second as expected, but other changes are more impactful. Everything from leveling systems and character creation to combat animations and in-game menus has been refined. The update also includes extensive new dialogue, a fully realized third-person perspective, and new lip-sync technology. These improvements are resonating with fans, some of whom argue the project is more accurately described as a full remake. Bethesda, however, has clarified its decision to label it a remaster.
Now that the game is widely available, veteran Oblivion Remastered players are cautioning newcomers to complete the Kvatch quest early, before level scaling turns it into a formidable challenge. There's also a fascinating report about one player who managed to escape Cyrodiil's borders to explore regions like Valenwood, Skyrim, and even the rumored The Elder Scrolls VI setting of Hammerfell.
Be sure to consult our comprehensive guide for everything in Oblivion Remastered, featuring an extensive Interactive Map, complete Walkthroughs for the Main Questline and all Guild Quests, a guide on How to Build the Perfect Character, a list of Essential First Steps, every PC Cheat Code, and much more.
