Following some murmurs here and there over the past while, Bethesda Game Studios in collaboration with Virtuos has both announced and released The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered on the PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Following an era of TESV: Skyrim and a seemingly infinite number of re-releases across three console generations and multiple versions as such, this release brings the class 2006 RPG into the modern era. In addition to featuring the expected graphical overhaul, this release is also set to offer several quality-of-life and gameplay improvements.
Using Unreal Engine 5, the remastered version enhances the original game’s visual fidelity. All environments, characters, and objects—including minor details such as rocks and food items – have been recreated from scratch. An updated lighting system and refined character models with new lip sync technology aim to deliver a more immersive experience.
Gameplay enhancements include the addition of a sprint function, overhauled character movement, and fully redone combat animations. Third-person perspective controls have also been reworked to be more in line with recent titles such as Starfield. In terms of accessibility and usability, the remaster introduces a rebalanced levelling system inspired by both Oblivion and Skyrim, updated user interfaces, and unique voice recordings for each race – whereas previously some shared voice lines.
Executive Producer at Virtuos, Alex Murphy, explained that the foundation of the original title has been preserved while making meaningful modernisations:
Oblivion is the heart and soul of the Remaster. It’s running underneath everything you see, powering all the gameplay and world logic. But to bring the Oblivion experience into 2025, it needed some modernising, and that came in a few key places.
Two editions are available for purchase. The Standard Edition includes the base game, Shivering Isles and Knights of the Nine expansions, and all original downloadable content. The Deluxe Edition adds new quests, exclusive armour and weapon sets, a digital artbook, and a soundtrack app. A Digital Deluxe Upgrade is also available for those who initially purchase the base game. In addition to the new content, presumably there will be a growing modding community in the coming months, as both Oblivion (original) and Skyrim have experienced over the years.
