Gamers Can Now Enjoy More Control with Oblivion Remastered’s Latest Update
This month, Bethesda announced that it’s preparing two major updates for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered . While the first update is set to arrive soon, the second one has now entered beta testing on Steam — bringing a wide range of fixes and gameplay improvements.
Expanded Difficulty Options for Better Gameplay Balance
One of the most requested features from players has been more control over game difficulty — and this new patch delivers exactly that.
Gamers can now choose from six difficulty levels when adjusting both player and enemy damage:
- Novice
- Apprentice
- Adept
- Journeyman
- Expert
- Master
Bethesda specifically pointed out that the ‘Journeyman’ setting acts as a smoother middle ground between ‘Adept’ and ‘Expert’, helping players transition more comfortably through the game’s challenge curve.
This change addresses long-standing complaints about unbalanced difficulty scaling since the remaster’s release.
Performance Improvements Across Key Locations
Improving performance remains a top priority in this update. Among the changes:
- Fixed frame-dropping issues in Deepscorn Hollow , Black Rock Caverns , Skingrad , and Bravil Castle
- Reduced open-world hitching
- Optimized water visuals, shadows, waterfall effects, weather systems, and animations
These changes should make exploration and combat feel smoother and more stable for players across different hardware setups.
How to Access the Beta Version
The 1.2 update is currently available for testing via the Steam beta branch. To join the test group:
- Open the game properties in your Steam library
- Go to the Betas tab
- Select the
[beta]branch - Download and install the latest build
Other PC users and console players will receive the update at a later date. No official release date has been announced yet.
You can view the full list of changes in the Steam beta changelog .
Oblivion Remastered Update 1.1 Coming June 11
Before the 1.2 patch rolls out widely, Bethesda is preparing Update 1.1 , which launches for PC, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and Game Pass on June 11 .
This update focuses on fixing crashes, quest bugs, and save-related issues, along with many quality-of-life enhancements.