Stop the presses—the rumors weren’t just smoke. After nearly two decades simmering in fan anticipation and swirling rumors, Bethesda Softworks pulled a surprise move, dropping The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered on April 22, 2025, the same day they officially announced it. Forget waiting; this isn’t just a fresh coat of paint on the 2006 classic. The Oblivion Remaster is out now, bringing Cyrodiil kicking and screaming onto modern hardware.
Where to Get It: Platforms, Price, and Game Pass
You can dive back into Tamriel’s heartland immediately. Virtuos, the team that handled Dark Souls: Remastered, partnered with Bethesda Game Studios for this release.
- Find it on: PlayStation 5 (Oblivion Remaster PS5 / Oblivion PS5), Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam and the Microsoft Store are your ports of call).
- The Cost: Expect to pay $49.99 USD for the standard Oblivion Remaster or $59.99 USD if you want the Deluxe Edition goodies.
- Game Pass Bonus: Big news for subscribers—it hit Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass on day one. Plus, it supports Xbox Play Anywhere, so buying it digitally once covers both Xbox and PC, complete with cross-saves.
- PS Plus? No word yet on whether the Elder Scrolls Oblivion Remastered PS5 version will land on PlayStation Plus anytime soon.
A Stunning Facelift: Unreal Engine 5 Power
Let’s talk visuals, because that’s the first thing you’ll notice. Virtuos didn’t just bump the resolution; they leveraged Unreal Engine 5 for a dramatic overhaul. We’re talking:
- Serious Graphics Upgrade: Think 4K resolution and a smooth 60 FPS target. Textures are new, lighting is dynamic and far more sophisticated, and everything from character models and gear to random clutter and foliage has been rebuilt. Weather effects and reflections get a major boost, too.
- Smart Engine Blend: They’ve described it as UE5 providing the visual “body” while the original engine’s logic acts as the “brain.” This clever approach aims to keep the core gameplay feel—the physics, the AI quirks, the Oblivion-ness—intact under the modern graphical layer.
Cyrodiil looks recognizably itself, yet undeniably transformed, with familiar vistas now boasting detail and atmosphere previously unimaginable.
Dragging a Classic into 2025: Gameplay Tweaks
It’s not just prettier. The Oblivion Remaster addresses some of the original’s rougher edges with smart quality-of-life updates:
- Smarter Leveling: That old leveling system everyone loved to debate? It’s been reworked, reportedly blending ideas from Oblivion and Skyrim for a potentially smoother ride.
- Better Movement & Fighting: Yes, you can finally sprint! Combat feels punchier thanks to redone animations, better hit feedback (visuals and sound), and tweaked blocking. Archery should feel less floaty, too.
- Playable Third-Person: The camera perspective when not in first-person is much improved—think a modern over-the-shoulder view with a proper crosshair. It’s actually a solid way to play now.
- Cleaner Interface: The HUD, map, journal, and those sometimes-clunky menus (hello, persuasion minigame!) have been streamlined for modern screens and sensibilities.
- Soundscape Polish: Iconic voice lines remain, but they’ve added new recordings so different races actually sound different, boosting immersion. The classic soundtrack also gets a remastered treatment.
- Little Things Add Up: Expect enhanced accessibility options, more frequent autosaves, and tweaked enemy scaling to round things out. This Oblivion game feels substantially more polished.
The Whole Shebang: Content Included
No need to buy expansions separately. The Oblivion Remaster packs in the base game plus the essential add-ons: Knights of the Nine and the fantastic, weird journey into Shivering Isles.
Forking out for the Deluxe Edition ($59.99) nets you extras like unique divine and daedric-themed gear sets (Akatosh and Mehrunes Dagon styles), a digital artbook/soundtrack app, and all those original mini-DLCs—Fighter’s Stronghold, Vile Lair, Mehrunes’ Razor… and yes, even the legendary Horse Armor Pack makes its triumphant return.
What About Mods?
Here’s the rub for many long-time fans. Unlike Skyrim SE or Fallout 4, the Oblivion Remaster ships without official mod support. No built-in browser, no curated console mods. It’s a definite step back from Bethesda’s recent approach.
That said, the PC modding scene never sleeps. Modders are already uploading creations to Nexus Mods, tweaking UI elements, gameplay values, and more. It’s back to the old-school, manual way of doing things on PC. This lack of official support does put it in a different category than the ambitious, fan-led Skyblivion project, which continues its separate development path.
Early Buzz & Review Chatter
Since it just landed, full reviews are still cooking. But the initial online chatter is already painting a picture:
- Looks: The visual upgrade gets a big thumbs-up generally, though some are debating the new character models versus the original’s unique style.
- Runs: Aims for 4K/60fps. Early Steam Deck tests show it’s playable but struggles with stutters and pop-in outdoors compared to smoother indoor performance.
- Plays: The gameplay modernizations (sprint, combat feel) seem widely appreciated.
- Size: Heads up: it’s a chunky download at around 125 GB on PC.
- Quirks: Will classic bugs survive? The hybrid engine makes it uncertain. Time will tell if you can still stack paintbrushes to the heavens.
The Oblivion Remaster review consensus forming seems to be that it’s a technically impressive return for a titan RPG, significantly modernized, but the missing official mod support stings.
The Verdict: Should You Return to Cyrodiil?
Nineteen years is an eternity in gaming. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered makes a compelling case for revisiting Tamriel’s capital province. It’s visually stunning thanks to Unreal Engine 5, plays noticeably better thanks to smart quality-of-life updates, and bundles all the essential content from the get-go.
It’s not perfect—the lack of official mod support is a genuine downside for a game in this lineage. But the core Oblivion game was, and is, a landmark RPG experience. If you’re a veteran itching to see Cyrodiil shine or a newcomer curious about the Elder Scrolls game that paved the way for Skyrim, this remaster offers a fantastic, polished way to answer the call. The gates are open.
