Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered launches on Switch 2 today
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered arrives on Nintendo Switch 2 today (Aug 11, 2026) for $49.99 digital / $59.99 physical. The full 2006 RPG with Unreal Engine 5 graphics, finally playable on the go.
Bethesda and Virtuos's The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered lands on Nintendo Switch 2 today (Aug 11, 2026), ending a 14-month console exclusivity window on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC.
Pricing and versions
- Standard Edition (digital): $49.99
- Standard Edition (physical): $59.99 (available at retail)
- Deluxe Edition: $69.99 digital / $79.99 physical — includes
the Horse Armor Edition (a tongue-in-cheek nod to the 2006 DLC controversy), the Digital Artbook, and the Original Soundtrack in lossless
- No upgrade path from the PC/PS5/Xbox versions — Switch 2
is a separate SKU
The Deluxe Horse Armor Edition is deliberately priced higher than the original 2006 Horse Armor DLC ($2.50) — Bethesda is leaning into the meme.
Switch 2 performance targets
Bethesda has confirmed three performance modes on Switch 2:
- Quality mode: 4K docked / 1080p handheld, 30 fps target
- Performance mode: 1440p docked / 720p handheld, 60 fps target
- Handheld optimized: dynamic 540p-720p, 40-60 fps
The Oblivion Remastered on Switch 2 uses the same Unreal Engine 5 build as the other platforms, with a custom LOD system that streams lower-detail objects in handheld mode. Load times are ~2-3 seconds in handheld, ~1-2 seconds docked, per Bethesda's pre-release testing.
What's actually remastered
For the unfamiliar: this is a ground-up Unreal Engine 5 remaster, not a simple HD texture pack. The original 2006 Gamebryo engine is fully replaced. Highlights:
- New character models for all NPCs + the player (Motion
Capture re-recorded for the major quest lines)
- Lumen global illumination + Nanite virtualized geometry
for the open world
- New voice cast for the 4 major quest lines (Sheogorath,
Martin Septim, the Daedric Princes); the rest of the side content uses the original 2006 recordings
- Remixed soundtrack (Jeremy Soule re-recorded 5 main
themes for the 2026 version; the rest is the original)
- All DLC included: Knights of the Nine, Shivering Isles,
Mehrunes' Razor, The Orrery, Horse Armor (yes, included free in the base 2026 version)
- Modern quality-of-life: full controller remapping, a
sprint button (2006 didn't have one), the modern Skyrim-style hotkey system, and a brand-new fast-travel menu
Why the Switch 2 version is interesting
The original Oblivion (2006) was a console-agnostic RPG — the 2006 release shipped on Xbox 360 and PC, with a PS3 version in 2007. But it was never on a Nintendo platform.
The Switch 2 port is the first official Nintendo release of an Oblivion-engine Elder Scrolls game. It's also the first "open-world western RPG" on Switch 2 of this scope — comparable to Witcher 3 on Switch 1, but on a more powerful handheld.
For Nintendo's marketing team, the launch is one of the headline Switch 2 third-party titles for August, sitting alongside the Madden NFL 27 (Aug 13) and the upcoming Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition (Aug 28).
Day-one patch
The Switch 2 version ships with Day-One Patch 1.0.2 which fixes:
- Frame-pacing issues in the Shivering Isles main quest
- Audio crackling in the Imperial City during market hours
- Save corruption when fast-traveling to specific DLC map
markers
- Handheld mode overdraw in the Bruma region (snow biome)
The patch is ~340 MB.
What reviewers are saying
The Oblivion Remastered on PS5/Xbox/PC launched in April 2025 to 84/100 on Metacritic (58 critics). The Switch 2 port's reviews will drop today — early preview coverage has been positive on the visual quality and load times, with minor caveats on handheld resolution.
Why it matters
Oblivion on Switch 2 is a litmus test for Bethesda's multi-platform strategy under Microsoft. After the company's near-exclusive relationship with PlayStation + Xbox since 2020, this is the first Bethesda RPG to ship on a Nintendo console since Skyrim (2011 on Switch 1, 2017 re-release).
The port is also a de facto demo for The Elder Scrolls VI — fans who replay Oblivion on Switch 2 are the natural audience for TES6 whenever it lands. Bethesda has not given a release window for TES6 beyond "still in development."
FAQ
Is Oblivion Remastered on Switch 2 cross-save with PC/PS5/Xbox?
No. Switch 2 saves are local-only, and there's no cloud sync with the other platforms.
Is Shivering Isles included?
Yes. All DLC — Knights of the Nine, Shivering Isles, Mehrunes' Razor, The Orrery, Horse Armor — is included in the base 2026 version, no extra purchase required.
Does the Switch 2 version support the touchscreen?
Yes — the inventory + map menus are touch-optimized. The main gameplay still uses controller.
When is the Switch 2 performance patch?
Bethesda has hinted at a "Stability Patch 1.0.3" for late August 2026 that targets 60 fps in the more demanding open- world areas. Not confirmed.
What about Elder Scrolls VI on Switch 2?
Not announced. Bethesda has only confirmed TES6 for PC, Xbox Series, and PS5. Switch 2 status is unknown.
Sources: Windows Central Oblivion Switch 2, Bethesda Oblivion Remastered, Game Informer new releases.
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