The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion first launched in 2006 for PC and Xbox 360 and quickly became one of the most critically-acclaimed and popular games of all time. But while Oblivion earned widespread praise at the time of its release for its sprawling open world, engaging quests, and near-endless replay value, it also faced some criticism. Oblivion, especially on the Xbox 360, had some technical issues like egregiously long load times that sometimes made playing it tedious.
It seems that the hardware at the time simply wasn't powerful enough for The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion to live up to its full potential. But now we're two console generations away from the Xbox 360, and Oblivion is readily available to play on Xbox One and Xbox Series X consoles. Anyone that hasn't played Oblivion in awhile should definitely consider giving it a go on Xbox One or Xbox Series X, as it's a significantly improved experience from the Xbox 360.
Playing Oblivion on Xbox Series X especially is a massive improvement. The game looks sharper than it did in 2006, and thanks to Xbox backward compatible features like FPS Boost, it runs better than ever as well. Oblivion's graphics are definitely dated when compared to Skyrim and most new games, but there's a certain charm to the art style that players will be able to appreciate more thanks to the technical upgrades.
The best part about playing Oblivion on an Xbox Series X, though, is that the load times are lightning fast. Whereas Oblivion's load times seemed to last forever in 2006 on the Xbox 360, the game's load times on Xbox Series X are vastly improved. Fast-traveling in Oblivion was always a bit of a chore because of the long load times, but now players will be able to fast-travel across Cyrodiil without a second thought.
Seeing how Oblivion has been vastly improved on newer hardware may make fans hungry for a proper remaster. With Bethesda re-releasing Skyrim numerous times, some have wondered by Oblivion hasn't gotten the same treatment, though fans shouldn't hold their breath for an Oblivion remaster. Bethesda has its plate full right now with Starfield, set to launch later this year, as well as The Elder Scrolls 6, which is likely still years away at this point.
A proper Oblivion remaster may not be in the cards, but in the meantime, fans of the game can experience it in a new light on Xbox One and Xbox Series X.
The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion is available for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.