Tech analysts report that The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered is experiencing notable performance issues on all console platforms, with players eagerly awaiting a critical update.
The remastered version of Oblivion launched to remarkable success, attracting over 4 million players and earning a 'very positive' user rating on Steam. Yet, performance inconsistencies remain a recurring concern.
Digital Foundry conducted a detailed performance review of Oblivion Remastered across all console systems and identified substantial technical difficulties on every platform. DF's Thomas Morgan commented on Virtuos's Unreal Engine 5 upgrade:
Every platform is affected: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 5 Pro, and both Xbox Series consoles all exhibit noticeable stuttering during open-world travel. Additionally, frame rates frequently drop below 60fps, and performance appears to gradually worsen over extended play sessions—potentially indicating a memory leak. To top it off, recurring system freezes have been observed, with PlayStation and Xbox consoles occasionally crashing back to the dashboard when loading saved games.
How do these issues impact actual gameplay? According to Digital Foundry, a "charged" play session—where the game has been running continuously—performs noticeably worse than a freshly started one. Cycling through multiple save files can also trigger additional bugs in these longer sessions, Morgan pointed out. Interestingly, one peculiar effect is an elevated camera angle while riding horses. Restarting the game appears to resolve this problem.
The possibility of a memory leak causing progressive performance deterioration is especially troubling. The game's tendency to crash after repeatedly loading saves is another serious concern.
There is widespread hope that Bethesda will resolve these problems promptly, particularly as players invest more time in this expansive fantasy RPG and become more likely to encounter these technical hiccups.
"This is a troubling situation for any remastered release, and developer Virtuos should prioritize fixing the stability issues and crashes immediately," Morgan added.
Digital Foundry's analysis raises difficult questions, implying that Oblivion Remastered may have been "rushed to market." There also appear to be inconsistencies between platform versions, with an Xbox Series X hotfix yet to be released for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro.
That's a harsh evaluation of the console edition, but how does the PC version fare? Digital Foundry had already published its PC performance review, describing it as "disappointing." For a deeper dive, their full analysis is worth reading.
Ranking the Best Races in Oblivion
Ranking the Best Races in Oblivion
Despite the performance troubles, Oblivion Remastered has been a commercial triumph. It became the third highest-selling game of 2025 in the United States within just one week of its surprise April 22 release. On the 2025 sales chart, it only trails Monster Hunter: Wilds and Assassin’s Creed: Shadows.
Developed by remake specialists Virtuos using Unreal Engine 5, Oblivion Remastered includes a wide range of visual and gameplay enhancements. It supports 4K resolution and 60 frames per second, as expected, but other upgrades are more impactful. Improvements span leveling mechanics, character creation, combat animations, and in-game interfaces. The release also introduces extensive new dialogue, a fully realized third-person perspective, and advanced lip-syncing technology. These extensive changes have been well received by the community, with some fans arguing that the project qualifies more as a remake than a remaster. Bethesda, however, has clarified its decision to classify it as a remaster.
Now that the game is in players' hands, Oblivion Remastered veterans are advising new players to complete the Kvatch quest early, before level scaling turns it into a formidable challenge. There's also a fascinating account of one adventurer who broke through Cyrodiil's borders to explore Valenwood, Skyrim, and even Hammerfell—the speculated location for The Elder Scrolls VI.
Be sure to explore our complete guide to everything available in Oblivion Remastered, featuring a detailed Interactive Map, full walkthroughs for the Main Storyline and all Guild Quests, Creating the Ideal Character, Early Game Priorities, a full list of PC Cheat Codes, and much more.
