Bethesda’s Oblivion Remastered reaches massive milestone that makes it the Xbox Game Pass hit of the summer — but ‘Mixed’ Steam reviews highlight a huge problem

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This summer, an array of fantastic new games have been added to Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft’s extensively used subscription service. These include Xbox-produced titles like DOOM: The Dark Ages and unexpected hits such as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and The Alters. However, it seems that The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered has been the most well-received of them all.

I’m stating this based on the news that as of Friday morning, the updated Unreal Engine 5 version of the 2006 RPG classic from Bethesda and Virtuos Games has surpassed 9 million players across all platforms. This number includes Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC (available on both Xbox PC and Steam), and PS5.

Bethesda shared some exciting news on their social media platform, combining a heartfelt note of gratitude with an amusing picture featuring Oblivion’s well-known Adoring Fan NPC. In this image, the fan sports a broad, cheesy grin, and his hair is styled into the number nine’s shape for your entertainment. Here it is, displayed for your easy viewing pleasure.

The developers express their gratitude to all those who played the role of a hero in Kvatch, became Arch-Mage, reached the rank of Grand Champion, expelled the Blackwood Company, donned the mantle of the Gray Fox, and tuned in to the whispers of the Night. They appreciate you for being part of our virtual realms.

The achievement of Oblivion Remastered is undeniably noteworthy, even if it wasn’t completely unexpected. In April, the game ruled sales charts and was one of only three Xbox games to top the PS5 charts for that month. Moreover, it astonishingly amassed a staggering 4 million players in its initial week, with an additional 5 million joining in as it sailed through the summer.

One major factor contributing to its outstanding success is the exceptional remastering job. Both critics and fans have been impressed by how meticulously and authentically it enhances the visuals, audio, and music of Cyrodiil, all while subtly and intelligently tweaking gameplay mechanics. In fact, the reviews for this game were overwhelmingly positive, earning a 4.5 out of 5 stars from us.

As a devoted fan, I’ve encountered a significant issue with the PC version of the game, playable on both the Xbox PC app and Steam: it’s plagued by bugs and struggles to deliver optimal performance. Unfortunately, user feedback on these platforms has been less than ideal, with only a 3.2/5 rating on the Xbox PC app and just 60% positive reviews from the 1,883 recent posts on Steam.

One review from late June stated that the optimization in this game is abysmal and advised against playing it until significant improvements are made. The player mentioned numerous issues, such as frequent crashes, fluctuating frame rates, and an abundance of glitches.”

Another way:

“A review from last month criticized the game’s performance, stating that although the remaster is good, it’s not worth playing due to constant crashes, poor frame rate, and numerous bugs.

It’s important to note that these problems are currently being addressed by Bethesda. In fact, they recently released Update 1.2 this month, which tackles numerous performance issues that were previously reported. This update also included new difficulty settings, with a significant emphasis on squashing bugs and enhancing performance.

Regrettably, it seems that the recent changes haven’t made a significant impact yet, and many players continue to voice their dissatisfaction with the game’s current condition. Moreover, there’s a widespread feeling of frustration about the lengthy intervals between updates. Specifically, Patch 1.2 represents only the second update for Oblivion Remastered since its release in late April.

In essence, it’s quite disappointing that an amazing game is experiencing difficulties due to many players encountering problems running it smoothly. Here’s hoping Bethesda and Virtuos can address these issues promptly. However, there’s cause for concern about the frequency of future updates, given that Virtuos Games, who are currently working on Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater and recently let go 270 employees.

It could be wise to wait before buying the game for PC, especially if the current issues aren’t resolved soon. However, if you have access to PC Game Pass or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, you can play it on your Xbox PC without having to make a complete purchase. Additionally, you may want to consider using custom mods created by the community, such as the Unofficial Oblivion Remastered Patch or the Ultimate Engine Tweaks, for an enhanced gaming experience.

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2025-07-26 00:39