The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered — what's new and different compared to the original, and why is it better?
Learn all the significant upgrades to visuals and gameplay you can expect in The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion's long-awaited Remaster.

After having its screenshots leaked on April 15, 2025, Bethesda Softworks has officially announced and released The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered on consoles and PC.
This long-awaited remaster of one of the most beloved titles in The Elder Scrolls, next to Skyrim, has made many changes to the original game, including gameplay refinements, visual upgrades, and quality-of-life improvements.
Here are all the new improvements players can expect to see in The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered, as stated on Bethesda's official website.
The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered changes – Improved presentation
The first new aspect of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered that players will see is that its visuals have been rebuilt from the ground up with the Unreal Engine 5 instead of using Bethesda Softworks' in-house Creation Engine.
With this, Oblivion's graphics and performance have been significantly improved. It now features more detailed landscapes and character models, improved lip-syncing during dialogue segments, and new realistic atmospheric effects that help the world of Cyrodiil feel more immersive.
The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered changes – Enhanced Gameplay
The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered changes – Enhanced Gameplay
Next up is that The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered will feature several improvements to the original game's gameplay. These improvements include, but are not limited to:
- The ability to Sprint.
- Combat animations have been redone to add more flourish and separation between the upper and lower body.
- Combat has new sound effects, visual effects, and hit reactions to make battles feel more engaging and immersive.
- Third-person mode has been overhauled to include a crosshair and play similar to Starfield's third-person mode.
The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered changes – Quality-of-life improvements
The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered will also include several quality-of-life improvements to make it feel more in line with modern Bethesda titles.
Get the Windows Central Newsletter
All the latest news, reviews, and guides for Windows and Xbox diehards.
A few examples of this game's many quality-of-life improvements are:
- A redesigned levelling system inspired by the levelling systems of Skyrim and the original Oblivion.
- The UI and UX have been updated to reflect contemporary gaming standards and hardware.
- Newly recorded dialogue.
- Each race now has unique sounds and voices compared to the original game, which shared voices between races.
Before Skyrim took over the gaming industry by storm, its predecessor, Oblivion, was considered the best game in The Elder Scrolls series when it was first released in 2006. This title was beloved by critics and fans for its gigantic open world packed with quests and secrets and for its compelling lore, story, and characters.
Fans will now be able to relive this classic with modern graphics, improved gameplay, and various quality-of-life improvements thanks to The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered, which is now available for purchase on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, PC via Windows and Steam, and Xbox Game Pass.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
Grab Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and play day one Xbox first-party games whichever way you'd like, on Xbox consoles, PC, or even through the Cloud on a wide range of devices. Going with this tier means you never miss out on anything coming to the service.

Alexander Cope is a gaming veteran of 30-plus years, primarily covering PC and Xbox games here on Windows Central. Gaming since the 8-bit era, Alexander's expertise revolves around gaming guides and news, with a particular focus on Japanese titles from the likes of Elden Ring to Final Fantasy. Alexander is always on deck to help our readers conquer the industry's most difficult games — when he can pry himself away from Monster Hunter that is!
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.