Opinion
The future of gaming is digital and you’ll pay the price
by Philipp Rüegg
The Oblivion remake is unplayable
29.4.2025
Translation: Patrik Stainbrook
Technical problems make the remake of The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion unplayable. Whether on console or a high-end PC, there are constant heavy stutters. So if I were you, I’d skip the game for the time being.
How happy I was to step out of the sewers again after almost twenty years and explore the world of Oblivion. I’d spent dozens of hours with it, back then still on the Xbox 360. The remake promises to remain very close to the original in terms of the world and the quests, something I very much welcome. After all, the original is rightly considered a classic. Unreal Engine 5 is responsible for the polished graphics – however, it’s probably also the source of problems.
As soon as I exit the sewers into the open world, both the real game and real problems start. The frame rate fluctuates between 80 and 20 fps, my screen repeatedly freezes for several dozen frames. This is particularly evident when riding a horse. Fellow editor Domagoj confirms that he also has the same problems on his PlayStation 5 Pro. Battles degenerate into a game of chance, and exploration becomes a slide show.
Source: Simon Balissat
Old wine in new bottles
It can’t be a hardware issue. I just upgraded my PC to the Ryzen 7 9800X3D a few weeks ago, and I play with an RTX 4090. Plus, regardless of the hardware, the problems seem to persist generally. The tech nerds at Digital Foundry even call it the worst running game they’ve ever tested.
Patches have now been released for PC and Xbox, with a patch for PS5 to follow soon. It makes the game run a little more smoothly, but the download doesn’t fix the constant fluctuations. According to Digital Foundry, the processor, not the graphics card, is primarily responsible for low frame rates and the many stutters. Ironically, Oblivion had to contend with very similar problems when it was released in 2006. Whenever the open world loaded new areas, the game stopped for a few frames. Could this possibly be connected to the current stutters here?
Quite possible, as developer Virtuos has simply placed Unreal Engine 5 on top of an existing game. The Gamebryo Engine, the framework behind the 2006 original, is still running in the background. Additionally, Unreal Engine is notorious for stuttering. These usually occur when the software compiles shaders in the background.
Settings and mods promise improvement
Given all this, the community has set itself the task of finding the best graphics settings and hacks to get around the stutters. There are guides for this on Reddit, and there are already corresponding mods on Nexusmods. These tools can provide short-term relief, but are always a risk, as they sometimes irrevocably change game files. I myself am waiting until the developers deliver a solution. In the meantime, I’m quite busy with Clair Obscure.
Simon Balissat
Teamleader Editorial
Simon.Balissat@digitecgalaxus.chWhen I flew the family nest over 15 years ago, I suddenly had to cook for myself. But it wasn’t long until this necessity became a virtue. Today, rattling those pots and pans is a fundamental part of my life. I’m a true foodie and devour everything from junk food to star-awarded cuisine. Literally. I eat way too fast.
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