I refunded The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remaster on Steam Deck and I’m not the only one unhappy with it

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Ever since the announcement of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remaster, I’ve been eagerly waiting for its release. Initially, I grabbed it through Xbox Game Pass, but when I learned it was Steam Deck Verified, my anticipation reached an all-time high. I couldn’t wait to experience the game on my handheld device.

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However, this instance served as another reminder of the shortcomings of the Steam Deck Verified program. The ‘Verified’ tag doesn’t imply “great for play,” and it certainly ought to. Unfortunately, I made a quick purchase of the Steam version with high expectations, only to find out that the game didn’t run smoothly on my Steam Deck.

Fortunately, I caught my mistake early on and was able to secure a refund before I had played for more than two hours. It seems like I’m not alone in my disappointment over this misleading ‘verified’ badge.

Verified but buyer beware

Current state of Oblivion Remastered (and many other “verified” games) on Deck from r/SteamDeck

To clarify, my experience with the remastered version on Steam Deck wasn’t catastrophic; it was playable technically. The game ran smoothly during the initial dungeon sequence, with combat against assassins being satisfactory. However, problems arose as soon as I ventured outside.

The device started to emit a noise that suggested it was preparing for launch into space – louder than a quiet hotel room hairdryer, even by my standards. Frames would drop as low as 15 when I got too close to buildings or tried to sprint. Although I could manage this for brief periods, I wouldn’t describe the experience as pleasant.

With most graphical settings set to low, it no longer felt like a remaster; it was more like playing the original game. After witnessing its beauty on Xbox, I realized I wasn’t doing it justice by playing it on the Deck. Moreover, my colleague Zachary Boddy was enjoying it smoothly and at 50 FPS on the ROG Ally X.

Despite experimenting with various settings, I ultimately decided to refund the game before investing further time into it.

Just play the original Oblivion if you want to play on the Steam Deck

Based on various accounts, playing the original Oblivion with modifications seems to provide the optimal gaming experience on a Steam Deck at this time, as opposed to the remaster which requires a hefty 120GB of storage. The original version is also more compact, taking up approximately 7GB of space.

While I may not be particularly skilled at modifications myself, our companion site, PC Gamer, offers an excellent article featuring side-by-side comparisons between the original version with mods and the remaster. The original version, when equipped with these enhancements, consistently achieves 60 frames per second and significantly reduces strain on your battery life.

How to mod Oblivion on Steam Deck with controller support

This method I’m about to describe has been proven effective and reliable, taking around an hour to configure initially. Afterward, you can enjoy the finest Oblivion experience on Steam Deck. Not only that, but it’s significantly more affordable compared to the Remaster.

Instructions from u/halycon8 on Reddit:

  1. Install Oblivion through the Deck’s gaming mode.
  2. Run the game through Steam at least once.
  3. Switch to Desktop mode and Download xOBSE from Nexus Mods.
  4. Open the xOBSE .zip and copy obse_1_2_416.dll, obse_editor_1_2.dll, obse_steam_loader.dll, Data folder, and obse_loader.exe TO YOUR DESKTOP (or anything BESIDES the Oblivion directory.) Extracting these files directly to the game folder breaks the install somehow.
  5. Rename “OblivionLauncher.exe” in your game directory to something else like “originalOblivionLauncher.exe”
  6. Move the 3 .dlls, Data folder, and .exe from your desktop into the game directory
  7. Rename obse_loader.exe to “OblivionLauncher.exe”
  8. OBSE should be properly installed now – test by switching back to game mode and opening Oblivion through Steam, it shouldn’t boot the original launcher anymore and you’ll see a command window (black screen, white text) for a brief moment – make sure you actually load into the game world.
  9. You’re almost done – Oblivion handles BSAs poorly so you need something called SkyBSA from Nexus Mods to get most mods to work.
  10. Download SkyBSA and extract the OBSE folder to your desktop like before – then move that folder into the Data folder of your Oblivion install directory. This should merge with an already existing OBSE folder.
  11. You should be ready to mod! Now download some proper controller support, head to NorthernUI on Nexus Mods. You can opt for a Skyrim style UI (the main file) or download the Vanilla Style to keep things looking like Oblivion.
  12. Again, extract the 4 folders to your desktop or wherever else you’ve been extracting to (not the install directory!!) – then from there, move the 4 folders into Oblivion’s Data folder. Some people have issues copying these files if the game is installed on an SD card, if you run into this just recreate the folder structure within the Data folder and copy individual files over, not the whole folder. (For example, if the “menus” folder won’t copy, create a “menus” folder within Oblivion’s Data folder, and copy all the files/folders in the mod’s “menus” folder into the Data “menus” folder)
  13. Congrats, Oblivion now has full controller support and is ready to be modded further if you wish. u/Halycon8 recommends the unofficial patches.

Furthermore, you might find it helpful to learn how to set up Mod Organizer 2 using this Reddit guide. This method simplifies certain mod installation processes.

The Steam Deck Verified program is borderline false advertising

I’ve come to terms with the capabilities of my Steam Deck and enjoy playing various games on it such as Balatro, Blue Print, Vampire Survivors. I’m content with its limitations, like not being able to run the latest games or the Oblivion Remaster at an optimal level. The concern isn’t with the device itself but rather the Steam Deck Verified badge and how Valve seems overly generous in awarding it.

The “Verified” label gives me, as a customer, the impression that the game will run smoothly on my Steam Deck, which is why I spent $50 without second thoughts. However, the program’s criteria don’t guarantee consistent performance, like maintaining a steady 30 frames per second.

This lax quality control has resulted in games like Remnant 2 and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 initially receiving the Verified badge despite performance issues, which were later rectified after users pointed out problems.

Perhaps the Steam Deck Verified program could benefit from stricter testing criteria. Instead of merely verifying that games run, it should also ensure consistent performance. Alternatively, they could introduce a new tier, ‘GOD’ (great-on-deck), to indicate exceptional performance on the Steam Deck.

Should I play The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remaster on Steam Deck?

If you’re aiming for an optimal remastered experience, I’d caution against buying it at this time. While it’s playable on the Deck, spending $50 might feel like a steep investment for a game that appears to be viewed through a blurred screen (it’s not aesthetically pleasing).

If the game offered cloud save via Xbox accounts, similar to Avowed and Indiana Jones, I would have used it for brief gaming sessions on-the-go, while continuing the main gameplay on Xbox. Unfortunately, it doesn’t support Xbox saves on Steam at this moment.

For now, I’m playing on console, and hopefully, the Steam Deck version will receive some performance enhancements in the future. Once it gets improved optimization, especially during sales, I plan to re-purchase it!

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2025-04-25 14:39