Oblivion Remastered Switch 2: Graphics & Performance
Oblivion Remastered has finally been released on the Switch 2, bringing a timeless and grand RPG adventure with it. The game shadow-dropped over a year ago on other systems and was heavily rumoured to be a launch title for the Switch 2. But as time went on, many gamers wondered if it would ever surface on Nintendo’s hybrid system and, more importantly, whether the Switch 2 could even handle it. Let’s take a look at how Oblivion Remastered looks and performs in this graphics and performance breakdown.
I’m pleased to report that when it comes to visual fidelity, despite some compromises, the Switch 2 version of Oblivion Remastered is still an absolutely gorgeous game. I’ve only spent roughly six hours with it so far, and it already has moments of beauty that stop me in my tracks just to take in the views. Outdoor environments look lush and colourful, supported by a soft level of detail pop-in that makes the ground clutter look impressive, as well as the surrounding forests of Cyrodiil. Textures, for the most part, have a lot of detail, which makes for a visually rich world. It’s incredibly easy to get lost in Cyrodiil simply because there is so much detail around you. Whether you’re wandering through a peaceful forest, taking in the views across the countryside, or stumbling across something you weren’t expecting, the world constantly gives you a reason to stop and look around. That beauty can also change dramatically depending on where you are. There are some ominous moments when approaching Kvatch, with the sky beginning to turn red and ashes falling from above, making the world feel like it’s being consumed by something far darker. Then, not long afterwards, you’ll find yourself somewhere that feels almost like a peaceful paradise.
Character models are also impressive, with plenty of detail packed into armour. The Imperial Guard, for example, has visible rivets along the joints, alongside additional details such as rust and scuff marks that help make the armour feel worn and lived-in. Even the chainmail underneath the plates has an impressive amount of detail, and it looks fantastic up close. Character faces are also very detailed, particularly when you’re inside buildings. The extra detail helps bring each character to life and makes conversations feel much more engaging. In a similar fashion to what we’ve seen with Final Fantasy, however, moving outdoors does result in some of that facial detail being lost. The outdoor lighting and environment can make faces appear softer, with some of those finer details becoming less noticeable.
While lighting may sometimes dull facial features, it is also paramount to world-building. From the opening moments of walking through the Imperial City sewers, where shafts of light shine down on your party, to fighting through Kvatch with fires illuminating your surroundings, the lighting does a lot of the heavy lifting. Oblivion Remastered was built in Unreal Engine 5, with its lighting technology being a major part of the game’s visual overhaul. While we can’t confirm whether the Switch 2 version is using the exact same lighting systems as the other versions, or if some have been adapted or replaced to suit Nintendo’s hardware, what’s important is that much of the visual character created by that lighting appears to have been preserved. Light pours through windows, fires cast an eerie glow across the environment, and the transition between light and shadow helps build atmosphere. Even when the Switch 2 version has had to make compromises elsewhere, the lighting does a fantastic job of maintaining that modernised look. It’s especially noticeable in places like Kvatch, where the combination of fire, smoke and the red sky completely changes the mood of the environment. Compare that to the bright sunlight and lush greenery of Cyrodiil, and it’s easy to see just how much the lighting contributes to making this world feel so varied.
Oblivion Remastered uses DLSS tech when it comes to the resolution, which runs at 900p in handheld mode, while docked mode increases that to 1080p. There are some compromises here, with pixelation being most noticeable in things like hair, where DLSS seems to have some trouble reconstructing the finer details on Switch 2 hardware. There is also some of that familiar DLSS image ghosting, along with some noticeable shadow dithering where certain shadows can take on a slightly dotted appearance across surfaces. These issues are certainly visible when you stop and look for them, but during normal gameplay, they don’t do much to dampen the atmosphere or the overall visual presentation. In both handheld and docked modes, the resolution and overall visual quality are, in my personal opinion, comparable to what we’ve seen from Final Fantasy Remake and Rebirth on Switch 2.
Now, all of this visual fidelity is nothing if it doesn’t perform, so let’s take a look at the frame rates. I’ll let the videos do more of the talking here. Starting out by leaving the Imperial City, you’ll see a dip from 30fps down to around 27fps, which can be attributed to the game loading in the new area. This is actually something that happens fairly regularly in Oblivion Remastered on Switch 2, with these brief loading hitches appearing as the game streams in new parts of the world. Frame time sits between around 33ms and 77ms. For some context, a 30fps game has roughly 33ms to render each frame, so those moments where frame time jumps towards 77ms indicate that a frame is taking considerably longer to appear, resulting in a noticeable hitch or stutter.
Moving onto Kvatch, there is a lot more going on, with plenty of lighting effects and characters moving around the environment, yet the game manages to maintain a more consistent frame rate. It sticks fairly close to that 30fps target, even during combat, which is particularly impressive considering everything happening on screen.
Finally, we have the wilds of Oblivion Remastered, both on foot and horseback. On foot, there are only a couple of instances where you’ll notice the loading hitches, and for the most part, exploring the world feels fairly stable. Horseback is a different story. Travelling at a much faster pace means the game needs to load new assets more frequently, and as a result, those little hitches become noticeably more common. It’s not something that completely ruins the experience, but it is one of the more obvious compromises you’ll encounter when moving quickly through Cyrodiil.
That’s my experience with the game so far, and it’s way too early in my playthrough to put a score on things. I will say that, despite the performance hitches, they do very little to get in the way of me really enjoying this game. I feel excited while playing it, and I’m already really looking forward to seeing the Shivering Isles and taking on the Knights of the Nine quest for some sweet armour. If you haven’t experienced Oblivion Remastered yet and you’re a fan of games like Skyrim, you’re going to have an amazing time here. There’s something incredibly exciting about having this huge RPG adventure running on Switch 2, and so far, the compromises haven’t stopped me from getting completely lost in Cyrodiil. I’ll be keen to see if Virtuos and Bethesda push out even more fixes for this version, especially given how quickly they jumped on Skyrim to polish that experience after launch. Until then, venture forth, and close shut the jaws of Oblivion!
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