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The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

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The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion cover
Developers
Bethesda Game Studios
Publishers
2K Games
Bethesda Softworks
Engines
Gamebryo (TES Engine)
Release dates
Windows March 20, 2006
Reception
Metacritic 94
IGDB 94
Taxonomy
Monetization DLC, Expansion pack
Modes Singleplayer
Pacing Real-time
Perspectives First-person, Third-person
Controls Direct control
Genres ARPG, Open world
Art styles Realistic
Themes Fantasy
Series The Elder Scrolls
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion on HowLongToBeat
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion on IGDB
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion guide on StrategyWiki
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion on MobyGames
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion on Wikipedia
The Elder Scrolls: Arena 1994
The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall 1996
An Elder Scrolls Legend: Battlespire 1997
The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard 1998
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind 2002
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion 2006
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim 2011
The Elder Scrolls Online 2014
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition 2016
The Elder Scrolls: Legends 2017
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR 2018
The Elder Scrolls: Blades TBA
The Elder Scrolls VI TBA

General information

Tweak Guide
Oblivion Nexus - a large modding community
GOG.com Community Discussions for game series
GOG.com Support Page
Steam Community Discussions

Availability

Source DRM Notes Keys OS
Retail
Disc check (requires the CD/DVD in the drive to play)
SecuROM 7 DRM on the Shivering Isles expansion.
Windows
Bethesda.net
Bethesda.net Launcher
Game of the Year edition
Windows
GamersGate
Icon overlay.png
Windows
Gamesplanet logo.svg
Icon overlay.png
Windows
GOG.com
DRM-free
Game of the Year Deluxe edition.
Windows
Green Man Gaming
Icon overlay.png
Windows
Humble Store
Icon overlay.png
Windows
Microsoft Store
DRM-free after installation through Microsoft Store client (notes may include more details)
Xbox Game Pass for PC
DRM-free after being copied to any other folder and launched directly from executable (Oblivion.exe or OblivionLauncher.exe)
Windows
Steam
Icon overlay.png
Game of the Year and Game of the Year Deluxe editions. Both include Shivering Isles and Knights of the Nine expansions. Game of the Year Deluxe includes all DLC.
Windows

Version differences

The Game of the Year Edition Deluxe includes all DLC but is only playable in English.
The Elder Scrolls Anthology includes both a retail version and a single Steam key that unlocks Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim along with all expansions and DLC.[1][2]
The GameStop PC Downloads/Impulse version is not compatible with some mods.[3] This version is no longer sold.

DLC and expansion packs

DLC is no longer sold separately; the Game of the Year Edition Deluxe and retail Anthology include all content.
Name Notes
Shivering Isles
Windows
Knights of the Nine Retail version includes all DLC except Shivering Isles and Fighter's Stronghold
Windows
Fighter's Stronghold Sold digitally in Game of the Year Edition Deluxe
Windows
Horse Armor Pack Sold digitally in Game of the Year Edition Deluxe
Windows
Mehrunes' Razor Sold digitally in Game of the Year Edition Deluxe
Windows
Orrery Sold digitally in Game of the Year Edition Deluxe
Windows
Spell Tomes Sold digitally in Game of the Year Edition Deluxe
Windows
Thieves Den Sold digitally in Game of the Year Edition Deluxe
Windows
Vile Lair Sold digitally in Game of the Year Edition Deluxe
Windows
Wizard's Tower Sold digitally in Game of the Year Edition Deluxe
Windows

Essential improvements

Patches

The current official patch is patch 1.2.0416 (Digital versions are already patched). To check what version you have check the bottom left corner of the main menu.

Mod Manager

Mod managers are used to simplify mod installation. Use one of the following.

Oblivion Mod Manager

Oblivion Mod Manager is an easy-to-use mod manager, good for beginners. It allows modders to pack their mods into OBMM-specific .omod archives for easy installation, as well as making it easy for users to tweak options.

Wrye Bash

Powerful mod manager. Requires a bit of a learning curve compared to OBMM but still relatively easy to use. Mods can be packed into Bash-specific BAIN archives for easy installation and tweaking options for users.
Used to create a Bashed Patch to resolve conflicts between mods and merging records into a single .esp file.

Mod Organizer

Powerful and easy to use mod manager with mod virtualization that allows the installation folder to remain clean.
Using Mod Organizer for Oblivion requires some extra tweaking to get the game to recognize some mods installed through it, specifically OBSE and OBSE plugins, though in the newest versions this is fairly painless. See this guide for details. (Works for both OBSE and xOBSE)

Unofficial Patches

Correct thousands of errors in the game, as well as providing slight tweaks to improve the gameplay experience.

General

EngineBugFixes

Fixes multiple bugs, including CTD-inducing ones, in Oblivion game engine.
Requires Oblivion Script Extender.

Oblivion Display Tweaks

Reduces stuttering.
Requires Oblivion Script Extender.

4gb Ram Patcher

Improves stability on systems with at least 3GB RAM by allowing the application to use more than 2GB RAM. Particularly useful when using mods.
Not necessary for the GOG.com version.[4]

Miscellaneous

Skip intro videos

Modify game configuration files[5]
  1. Go to the configuration file(s) location.
  2. Open Oblivion.ini.
  3. Find the SMainMenuMovieIntro=Oblivion iv logo.bik line and remove everything after =.
  4. Find the SIntroSequence=bethesda softworks HD720p.bik,2k games.bik,game studios.bik,Oblivion Legal.bik line and remove everything after =.
  5. Save the file.
Modify video files[6]
  1. Go to <path-to-game>\Data\Video.
  2. Delete or rename the following files:
2k games.bik
bethesda softworks HD720p.bik
game studios.bik
Oblivion iv logo.bik
Oblivion Legal.bik

Skip launcher

Use SLEA - Skip Launcher and ENBAuto

Game data

Configuration file(s) location

System Location
Windows %USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Oblivion\
Steam Play (Linux) <Steam-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/22330/pfx/[Note 1]

Save game data location

System Location
Windows %USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Oblivion\Saves\
Steam Play (Linux) <Steam-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/22330/pfx/[Note 1]

Save game cloud syncing

System Native Notes
GOG Galaxy
OneDrive
Requires enabling backup of the Documents folder in OneDrive on all computers.
Steam Cloud
Stores up to 953.67 MB of game saves online (maximum 1000 files).
Xbox Cloud

Video

Video settings.
Video settings.

Graphics feature State WSGF Notes
Widescreen resolution
Multi-monitor
Ultra-widescreen
4K Ultra HD
Field of view (FOV)
See Field of view (FOV)
Windowed
Borderless fullscreen windowed
There is a mod available here. It runs as an executable and is compatible with OBSE.
Anisotropic filtering (AF)
It can be forced from the AMD or NVIDIA control panel. See below for examples.
Anti-aliasing (AA)
MSAA, up to 8 samples. Cannot be activated through the launcher at the same time as HDR, instead enable anti-aliasing through graphics control panel.
Vertical sync (Vsync)
60 FPS
120+ FPS
Physics issues above 60FPS, use Oblivion Display Tweaks to fix.
High dynamic range display (HDR)
Rendered image uses SDR color space. In-game HDR option refers only to HDR Rendering.

Anisotropic Filter

By default, Oblivion does not come with an option to activate Anisotropic Filtering, but you can force it from the AMD Catalyst Control Center or from the NVIDIA Control Panel. The performance hit is substantial on some low-end computers.

Field of view (FOV)

Use FOV Modifier[citation needed]
This is permanent and does not cause issues in the game.
This mod requires the Oblivion Script Extender to work.
  1. Install the FOV Modifier.
  2. As soon as you start up your game with FOV Modifier installed, either load up a savegame or start a new game, the FOV will automatically set to 90. You can change it by typing into the console Set CustomFOV to # and replace # with the desired FOV. FOVs only from 60 to 120 are accepted.
Change setting in Oblivion.ini[citation needed]
This setting may cause issues in the game, such as putting objects and NPCs out of sync and making menus inoperable.
  1. Open %USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Oblivion\Oblivion.ini
  2. Change fDefaultFOV=75.0000 to the desired value. Suggested values can be found in the table below.
Use console commands[citation needed]
This setting isn't permanent, but doesn't cause the problems of the previous fix.
  1. Open the console (~).
  2. Enter the console command FOV XX (where XX is the desired value) and press Enter.
Use Oblivion Display Tweaks[citation needed]
Installing this mod fixes all issues related to changing the FOV settings in Oblivion.ini.
This mod requires the Oblivion Script Extender to work.
  1. Install Oblivion Display Tweaks.
  2. Open %USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Oblivion\Oblivion.ini
  3. Change fDefaultFOV=75.0000 to the desired value. Suggested values can be found in the table below.

This table works with the assumption that the default 75° is optimal for screens with the 5:4 aspect ratio.

Aspect Ratio FOV Value
4:3 79.9000
16:9 105.3000
15:9 99.0000
16:10 95.2000

Input

Input settings.
Input settings.

Keyboard and mouse State Notes
Remapping
Partial support. The F1 (Statistics), F2 (Inventory), F3 (Magic) and F4 (Data) keys are hard-coded and cannot be remapped.
Mouse acceleration
Present in menus. No acceleration in-game.
Mouse sensitivity
Mouse input in menus
Mouse Y-axis inversion
Controller
Controller support
Full controller support
Controller support mostly works when using Northern UI mod at NexusMods
Controller remapping
Very limited.
Controller sensitivity
Controller Y-axis inversion
Controller types
XInput-compatible controllers
PlayStation controllers
Generic/other controllers
Additional information
Controller hotplugging
Haptic feedback
Digital movement supported
Simultaneous controller+KB/M

Audio

Audio settings.
Audio settings.

Audio feature State Notes
Separate volume controls
Voices, effects, footsteps and music.
Surround sound
Up to 7.1 output[7]
Subtitles
Closed captions
Mute on focus lost
EAX support
Use Side's EAX Control mod. EAX 2.0.
May require DirectSound3D restoration software to restore proper audio functionality on Windows Vista and later.

Localizations

The Game of the Year Edition Deluxe is only playable in English.
Language UI Audio Sub Notes
English
French
German
Italian
Polish
Retail version only. For digital GOTY and GOTY Deluxe versions download this.
Russian
Russian retail, digital version available here.
Spanish

VR support

3D modes State GG3D Notes
Nvidia 3D Vision
Use Oblivion - 3D Vision Fix for better 3D support.
vorpX
G3D, DirectVR
Officially supported game, see official vorpx game list.

Issues fixed

TweakGuides has created a comprehensive guide for fixing issues in this game. It can be found here.

The game crashes upon exiting to desktop

Fast Exit[citation needed]

Use Fast Exit.

The settings reset every time the game is restarted

Often happens because the game's process is being shut down prematurely, such as through crashes.
Fast Exit[citation needed]

Use Fast Exit.

Missing Assets

This is a common problem with installing mods. It is often caused by a mod's assets being overwritten by the game's own BSA archives on anything other than a retail disc install, such as digital, since the BSAs will be timestamped by the date the game is installed, not when they were last modified. This can be fixed by doing one of the options below.
Install SkyBSA[citation needed]

Install SkyBSA. This is recommended over the BSA redirection method below since it fixes other issues with BSAs besides getting the game to recognize them.

Missing BSA redirection[citation needed]
  1. Open the Oblivion Mod Manager.
  2. Click on Utilities.
  3. Click on Archive Invalidation.
  4. Now tick BSA Redirection and click on Update Now.
  5. When the process is done, close the Oblivion Mod Manager and launch Oblivion.

Frozen Animations

After 200 hours of playtime with a character, game animations and effects may freeze. Commonly referred to as the "Abomb" bug.[citation needed]
Use EngineBugFixes[8]

Use EngineBugFixes. This will permanently fix the issue for any save since it fixes it at the engine level. (Version 1.6 and above)

Use Oblivion Animation Fixer[citation needed]

Use Oblivion Animation Fixer.

Use Wrye Bash[citation needed]

Use Wrye Bash to apply the Abomb Fix on the affected save.

Intermittent Black Screens During Play

This is related to Nvidia Graphics cards 8800 or later.
Two alternate solutions[citation needed]
  1. Disable self shadows, use bloom instead of HDR and use Wrye Bash to build a Bashed Patch. In the Bashed Patch options, enable the Nvidia Fog Fix.
  2. Otherwise, disable shadows.

Volume keys on keyboard don't work in-game

Edit .ini[9]
  1. Go to the configuration file(s) location.
  2. Open Oblivion.ini
  3. Change bBackground Keyboard=0 to 1
  4. Save the file

Other information

API

Technical specs Supported Notes
Direct3D 9
Executable 32-bit 64-bit Notes
Windows

Middleware

Middleware Notes
Cutscenes Bink Video 1.7.3

Modifications

Oblivion mods can be found at Oblivion Nexus.

See Essential improvements for modifications that fix bugs and improve performance.

Recommended mods

Through the Valleys - Vanilla Plus Modding Guide is a comprehensive, up-to-date Oblivion modding guide by PushTheWinButton that focuses on setting up a vanilla-friendly modded game that is also stable.

User Interface

DarNified UI

Tweaks the enlarged Xbox-optimized UI to better fit PC. The HUD and fonts are smaller, and items are easier to find in the inventory.

MajorJim's UI Updated

Updated version of MajorJim's classic UI replacement. Fixes many issues contained in the original mod. Use if preferring something closer to the vanilla layout than DarNified.

Script Extender Plugins

The following mods require Oblivion Script Extender.

Fast Exit

Prevents the game from crashing upon exit and saves the .INI file before exiting the game so settings do not reset to their initial values upon restarting the game.
This is also included in Oblivion Display Tweaks.

SkyBSA

Forces Oblivion to handle BSAs and loose files the same way that Skyrim does.

NVAC - New Vegas Anti Crash

Implements structured exception handling and sanity checking to reduce frequency of game crashes.
Created for Fallout New Vegas, but also works on Oblivion.

OBL Mod Limit Fix

Fixes the Oblivion mod limit bug, allowing the maximum of 255 plugins to be loaded.

Better Saves

Replaces the buggy vanilla auto save and quick save features with two small scripts.

Utilities

Oblivion Script Extender (xOBSE)

A utility that extends the script capabilities of vanilla Oblivion, allowing modders to better take advantage of the engine. Many mods require this utility, and installation instructions are included in a README, when you download it.
When running through Steam, OBSE requires use of the Steam Overlay. If the Steam Overlay doesn't appear in game, try running Steam in administrator mode.
Community maintained up-to-date fork of Oblivion Script Extender (OBSE).

Load Order Optimisation Tool (LOOT)

Plugin load order optimiser for TES IV: Oblivion and other games. Provides thousands of plugin-specific messages, including usage notes, Bash Tag suggestions, requirements, incompatibilities, bug warnings and installation mistake notifications. Supports the sorting of plugins ghosted by the Wrye Bash utility, is highly customisable, has been translated into multiple languages, and is simple to use.

TES4Edit

Can clean .ESP files from "dirty edits" which are essentially errors made by original mod authors that can cause incompatibilities and prevent other .ESP's features from working.

Oblivion BSA Decompressor

Decompresses Oblivion BSA files to reduce loading times and stuttering.

Console Commands

A complete list of console commands can be found here.

System requirements

Windows
Minimum Recommended
Operating system (OS) 2000
Processor (CPU) Intel Pentium 4 2.0 GHz
AMD Athlon XP 2000+
System memory (RAM) 512 MB
Hard disk drive (HDD) 4.6 GB
Video card (GPU) ATI Radeon 9500
Nvidia GeForce FX 5700
128 MB of VRAM


Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 File/folder structure within this directory reflects the path(s) listed for Windows and/or Steam game data (use Wine regedit to access Windows registry paths). Games with Steam Cloud support may store data in ~/.steam/steam/userdata/<user-id>/22330/ in addition to or instead of this directory. The app ID (22330) may differ in some cases. Treat backslashes as forward slashes. See the glossary page for details.

References