Oblivion Remastered is a fantastic overhaul, but performance drops, stuttering, and random crashes do happen from time to time. Especially when playing Oblivion Remastered on Steam Deck. But there are thankfully some things you can do to minimise these issues or solve them entirely. Steam Deck is a little more complicated though.

How to Fix Oblivion Remastered Performance and Crashing Issues

To kick start this guide, I'm going to recommend grabbing the following mod as it makes a huge difference to the game without doing much extra work. Simply grab Vortex from Nexus Mods, then download the following mod. Once you have installed it, you should see a massive performance boost, 60fps to 90- 100fps, for example.

Ultimate Engine Tweaks Mod for Oblivion Remastered

Roll Back to a Stable NVIDIA Driver

One of the most common causes of instability is recent NVIDIA driver updates. Many users report that reverting to a previous version (especially drivers from December 2024 or earlier) resolves stuttering and crashes.

• Visit NVIDIA’s official driver download page.

• Enter the following:

  • Product Type: GeForce

  • Product Series: [Your GPU Series]

  • Product: [Your GPU Model]

  • Operating System: Windows 11

  • Download Type: Game Ready Driver (GRD)

  • Language: [Your preferred language]

• Download a December 2024 or earlier driver.

• Install it using the clean installation method described below.

Optimize In-Game Settings

Overloading the game with ultra settings is a fast track to poor performance, especially with mods installed.

• Lower texture quality, shadow detail, and reflections.

• Turn off vertical sync (V-Sync) for a potential FPS boost.

• If needed, reduce your resolution for better performance.

Disable Background Overlays

In-game overlays often interfere with performance, especially when using modded versions of Oblivion.

To disable Discord overlay:

• Open Discord > User Settings > Overlay

• Toggle off "Enable in-game overlay"

To disable NVIDIA overlay:

• Open NVIDIA GeForce Experience

• Click the gear icon for settings

• Under "General", disable "In-Game Overlay"

Perform a Clean GPU Driver Installation

If you've updated drivers multiple times, leftover files can cause issues. A clean install removes all remnants of old drivers.

• Download Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU).

• Download the older NVIDIA driver you plan to use.

• Disconnect from the internet.

• Run DDU and select the option to remove all GPU drivers.

• Reboot your PC.

• Install the older driver.

• Reboot again before reconnecting to the internet.

Close Background Applications

Ensure nothing unnecessary is using your system's resources while gaming.

• Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.

• End non-essential processes like web browsers, auto updaters, and third-party launchers.

Run the Game as Administrator

This can help avoid permission issues, particularly with modded installations.

• Navigate to your Oblivion Remastered installation folder.

• Right-click the game’s executable (.exe) file.

• Select "Run as administrator."

Check for Windows and System Updates

While not a guaranteed fix, it’s worth ensuring your system is fully up to date.

• Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update.

• Click "Check for updates" and install any pending items.

What’s Causing the Crashes and Performance Issues?

The most consistent reports point to recent NVIDIA drivers as the core issue. Players have seen dramatic improvements after reverting to an earlier version. Other common causes include overly aggressive in-game settings, background processes, and interference from overlays or third-party apps.

How to Fix Oblivion Remastered Performance on Steam Deck

Unfortunately, at this point in time, the only real way to get an improvement in performance in Oblivion Remastered on Steam Deck is to wait for the game to be patched. Most of the other solutions don't really offer anything substantial.