Technical analysts highlight concerning performance problems in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered across all console platforms as players await crucial updates.
Despite its successful launch with over 4 million players and 'Very Positive' Steam reviews, the remaster faces consistent performance complaints. Digital Foundry's comprehensive testing revealed significant technical flaws present on every console version.
Performance Problems Plague All Platforms
Digital Foundry's Thomas Morgan reported on Virtuos' Unreal Engine 5 overhaul:
No platform escapes these issues. Whether PS5, PS5 Pro or Xbox Series X/S, all suffer from traversal stutters during open-world exploration. Additionally, frequent frame rate drops below 60fps appear to worsen with extended playtime - likely indicating a memory leak. Most troubling are the system crashes that return players to the dashboard after repeated save loading.
The analysis revealed that prolonged play sessions ("charged" saves) perform significantly worse than fresh starts. Save cycling introduces new bugs, including a peculiar camera elevation glitch while horseback riding - temporarily fixed only by restarting the game.
Critical Issues Require Urgent Attention
The discovered memory leak causing gradual performance degradation raises serious concerns, compounded by the persistent save-load crashes. Players investing more time in this expansive RPG will increasingly encounter these technical hurdles.
"This represents an alarming situation for any remaster," Morgan noted. "Virtuos must prioritize stability fixes, particularly these crashing issues."
Digital Foundry's report suggests the remaster may have been rushed to market. Currently, an Xbox Series X hotfix remains unavailable for PlayStation platforms, creating performance discrepancies between versions. The PC version's "dire" performance was previously documented in separate analysis.
Commercial Success Despite Technical Flaws
Despite these issues, Oblivion Remastered became the third best-selling game of 2025 in the U.S. within its first week, trailing only Monster Hunter: Wilds and Assassin's Creed: Shadows. The shadow-dropped April 22 release by Virtuos features numerous UE5-powered enhancements, including:
- 4K resolution at 60fps
- Revamped leveling systems
- Improved character creation
- Enhanced combat animations
- Redesigned menus
- Additional dialogue
- Proper third-person perspective
- Advanced lip-sync technology
The extensive improvements have led some fans to consider this more remake than remaster. New players should tackle Kvatch early before level scaling escalates difficulty. Adventurous explorers have even discovered ways to venture beyond Cyrodiil into neighboring provinces like Valenwood and Hammerfell.
Our comprehensive guides cover every aspect including an interactive map, complete walkthroughs for main and guild quests, character building strategies, essential early-game activities, PC cheat codes and more.
Which classic game deserves the Oblivion Remastered treatment next?
- Fallout 3
- Halo 3
- Batman Arkham Trilogy
- L.A. Noire
- Burnout 3: Takedown
- Deus Ex
