Remastered version of Bethesda's Oblivion becomes the standout title on Xbox Game Pass, garnering acclaim, yet its Steam reviews display a significant divide
In the realm of video gaming, the highly anticipated remastered version of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion has made its grand entrance, but not without encountering some significant hurdles on the PC platform.
Since its launch in late April, the game has been available on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC (on both Xbox PC and Steam), and PS5. However, the PC version, available on the Xbox PC app and Steam, has been met with a wave of criticism due to bugs and performance issues.
Reviews for the game were glowing, with a score of 4.5/5 stars in some reviews. Yet, the PC version is currently experiencing severe optimization problems, including frequent crashes, major frame-rate drops, and numerous glitches, even on high-end gaming rigs. These issues have left many players disheartened, despite the game's visual overhaul and inclusion of all DLC.
Bethesda, the game's publisher, released Patch 1.2 in early July, aiming to address these performance problems, bugs, and adding new difficulty settings. However, this update has not substantially improved the game’s condition according to player feedback and technical analyses. Core issues like frame-rate hitches during world traversal and general instability persist, and performance degradation over time remains unmitigated.
Additionally, many original-version bugs and quest-related glitches have carried over to the remaster and in some cases are worsened. The update cadence is slow and uncertain due to involved developers facing layoffs, casting doubts on timely future patches.
Despite these challenges, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered managed to top the PS5 charts in April 2025, alongside two other Xbox games. It also attracted 4 million players in its first week and an additional 5 million players as it moved through the summer.
For those who wish to explore the world of Cyrodiil on modern hardware, the game is available to play on Xbox PC without a full purchase for users with PC Game Pass or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. This subscription service, which includes access to play games on Xbox consoles, PC, and through the Cloud on a wide range of devices, is currently available for $10.19 at CDKeys.
In the face of these challenges, the gaming community has stepped up to help. Community-made mods like the "Unofficial Oblivion Remastered Patch" and "Ultimate Engine Tweaks" are available for the game, offering potential solutions for some of the issues players are experiencing.
As Bethesda and Virtuos continue to work on improvements, players hope for a smoother experience in the future. With the game's captivating storyline and immersive world, the potential for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered to shine is undeniable, but the technical shortcomings currently overshadow its brilliance.
- The Xbox Series X, a piece of hardware from Microsoft's technology, was the platform on which the remastered version of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion was initially available, alongside Windows PC, PS5, Xbox PC app, and Steam.
- While the Xbox Series X version of the game has received positive reviews, the PC version, also playable on Windows PC, has been criticized due to several performance issues and bugs.
- Microsoft's Bethesda, working in partnership with Virtuos, released Update 1.2 in July to address these performance problems and add new difficulty settings, but player feedback indicates that the update has not significantly improved the situation.
- On the positive side, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered has been a commercial success, topping the PS5 charts and attracting a large number of players, even when played on PC with the help of subscription services like Xbox Game Pass.
- In the gaming community, several community-made mods, such as the "Unofficial Oblivion Remastered Patch" and "Ultimate Engine Tweaks", have emerged to potentially solve some of the issues players are encountering, providing a workaround until Bethesda and Virtuos manage to resolve the technical problems and improve the game's performance.
