Tech analysts report that The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered suffers from notable performance issues on all consoles, leaving players waiting for a critical patch.
While Oblivion Remastered has seen a highly successful launch—surpassing 4 million players and earning a 'Very Positive' user review rating on Steam—performance problems remain a recurring complaint.
Digital Foundry conducted a detailed performance analysis of Oblivion Remastered across all console platforms and identified serious issues on every system. Thomas Morgan of Digital Foundry commented on Virtuos’s Unreal Engine 5 remake:
Every platform is impacted: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 5 Pro, and both Xbox Series consoles all suffer from traversal stutters while exploring the open world. In addition, frame rates frequently drop below 60fps, and performance appears to degrade over time—likely due to a memory leak. To top it off, the game occasionally freezes, and all PlayStation and Xbox versions sometimes crash to the dashboard when loading a saved game.
What does this look like during gameplay? According to Digital Foundry, a longer play session with extended continuous play performs noticeably worse than a fresh start. Cycling between saved games also introduces bugs in these longer sessions, Morgan noted. One particularly unusual issue is that the camera sits too high while on horseback, a problem that can be fixed by restarting the game.
The possibility of a memory leak causing progressive performance loss is especially concerning. Frequent crashes when loading saves also pose a major problem for players.
Hopefully Bethesda will resolve these issues soon, especially as gamers invest more time in the vast fantasy RPG and are more likely to encounter these technical setbacks.
“It's a troubling situation for any remaster, and developer Virtuos needs to prioritize game stability—especially the random crashes,” Morgan added.
Digital Foundry raises difficult questions in its report, suggesting that Oblivion Remastered may have been rushed to release. There also appears to be a discrepancy in how updates are handled, with an Xbox Series X hotfix not yet available for PlayStation 5 or PlayStation 5 Pro.
That’s a harsh evaluation of the console versions, but how does the PC edition perform? Digital Foundry already reviewed the PC build, labeling its performance as “poor.” For a deeper dive, check out DF’s full analysis.
Ranking the Best Races in Oblivion
Ranking the Best Races in Oblivion
Despite the technical troubles, Oblivion Remastered is a commercial triumph. Just one week after its surprise April 22 launch, it became the third best-selling game of 2025 in the United States. Only Monster Hunter: Wilds and Assassin’s Creed: Shadows outperformed it on the yearly sales chart.
Developed by Virtuos using Unreal Engine 5, Oblivion Remastered introduces a long list of upgrades to both visuals and gameplay systems. As expected, it runs at 4K resolution and 60 frames per second, but the more impactful improvements lie elsewhere. Everything from the leveling mechanics and character creator to combat animations and in-game menus has been refined. The release also includes new dialogue, a refined third-person camera, and improved lip-syncing. These enhancements have resonated with the community, with some players arguing that Oblivion Remastered should be considered a full remake. Bethesda, however, has explained its decision to label it a remaster.
Now that the game is available, experienced players are advising newcomers to complete the Kvatch quest early before level scaling makes it extremely difficult. We’ve also covered a player who found a way to leave Cyrodiil and explore areas like Valenwood, Skyrim, and even Hammerfell—the rumored location of The Elder Scrolls VI.
Be sure to explore our detailed guides covering everything in Oblivion Remastered, including a comprehensive Interactive Map, full Main Quest Walkthroughs and Guild Quest guides, advice on How to Build the Perfect Character, essential Tips for Starting Out, a full list of PC Cheat Codes, and more.
