The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion Remastered on Switch 2 Looks Surprisingly Good Thanks to DLSS

The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion Remastered is now available on Nintendo Switch 2, and a new comparison shows how DLSS helps the handheld deliver surprisingly sharp visuals and solid performance despite its lower hardware power.

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Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered has been released for the Nintendo Switch 2, and initial observations seem to show that Bethesda has produced a surprisingly competent port of the challenging RPG game onto the newer Nintendo handheld console. In spite of the fact that Oblivion Remastered uses the Unreal Engine 5 technology and has already proved to be rather challenging for more advanced systems, the game seems to fare well against its PS5, Xbox Series S and PC counterparts.

Oblivion Remastered was first released on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S platforms. The game features the classic Bethesda RPG game from 2006 with substantially improved visuals. However, the use of Unreal Engine 5 means that the game is much more resource-demanding than its predecessor. Thus, the release of Oblivion Remastered on Nintendo Switch 2 is of particular interest because players were unsure whether the hardware could support the game.

Nintendo Switch 2 Uses DLSS to Its Advantage

From a new comparison video posted by ElAnalistaDeBits, it seems like the Oblivion Remastered on Nintendo Switch 2 somehow manages to render a high-quality image despite using a relatively low base resolution compared to the versions found on different consoles. In this case, the technology that helps is NVIDIA DLSS that seems to be playing a very important part in making a clearer and sharper image possible.

https://youtu.be/NeufsTQWD-g?si=mz22HRiS0eoMxOoW

Specifically, Oblivion Remastered on Switch 2 was compared to PS5, Xbox Series S and Steam Machine versions of the game. Although the hardware used on the Nintendo console features lower graphics options and resolution, the DLSS makes the image reconstruction look much sharper than on the Xbox Series S version.

It is important to note here that the Xbox Series S doesn't have the DLSS technology. Thus, the Switch 2 can actually use the DLSS to compensate for the lower rendering resolution, making it possible to create a better looking image than would be expected of the hardware's capabilities.

Of course, Nintendo Switch 2 is no match for PlayStation 5 in terms of pure graphics capabilities. Therefore, the port requires some concessions regarding image quality, which include lowered graphical settings and reduced base resolution.

But that does not mean that the visuals will be bad. Based on the comparison provided, the version on Switch 2 is capable of providing better-than-expected image quality thanks to DLSS.

Moreover, according to the comparison, it seems like some of the images of the Switch 2 version look better than even the lowest-quality images on PC. Thus, the difference that proper upscaling can make is quite visible.

For a handheld gaming console, achieving such image quality on a big open-world RPG made with Unreal Engine 5 is quite an achievement.

Oblivion Remastered Can Reach 30 FPS on Switch 2

However, visual performance is far from being the only parameter to consider, and the performance itself is no less significant in case of such a complex game as Oblivion Remastered. There are occasional drops in frame-rate when exploring the game's open world, but the frame-rate may often increase to 30 FPS.

While it is far from being as impressive as games running at 60 FPS, there is an explanation why the performance on the Switch 2 is still impressive enough. Oblivion Remastered is one of the most challenging titles in terms of performance, and it did not demonstrate the best performance even on the more powerful hardware.

Thus, the achievement of delivering such a title with acceptable performance around 30 FPS is quite remarkable. It means that developers managed to make a lot of modifications to make the game run on less powerful hardware using the Unreal Engine 5.

The combination of low base resolution and DLSS technology is one of the key components behind it.

Ahead of the release, it was clear that there were reasonable fears about the possibility of running Oblivion Remastered on Nintendo Switch 2. The advanced technology required by the game made it a clear choice where technical trade-offs were concerned, especially when considering the difficulty of running Unreal Engine 5 games.

But it is the earlier comparison that paints a much more promising picture. Although it must be pointed out that players cannot hope to get the same level of graphics setting and native resolution that they have on PlayStation 5 and other consoles, the Switch 2 edition seems to strike a good balance.

This is certainly the biggest strength of the system. By using the technology of upscaled resolution, the system will be able to render an image at a lower internal resolution but create a much sharper final image. This method will enable the system to lessen its load and yet generate an image that is sufficiently high resolution for a modern game.

This is also the reason why DLSS may be very useful when it comes to the third-party games of Nintendo Switch 2. Rather than trying to compete in rendering capabilities with bigger consoles, the developers could simply use the method of image reconstruction.

Could Switch 2 Players Spend More Time With Oblivion Remastered?

Now that most technical worries about the game are sorted out, the next thing to wonder about is how much time Oblivion Remastered players will spend on the game for Nintendo Switch 2.

Nostalgia plays a major role when it comes to the popularity of the original game, but that does not automatically imply that players will be willing to keep playing it indefinitely. There were rumors that players on PlayStation 5 stopped playing Oblivion Remastered after completing the game for nostalgic reasons rather quickly.

There is a chance that a different trend may develop on Nintendo Switch 2 since the game can now be played everywhere on the mobile device. The large open world can be easier to explore while using portable consoles.

Playing an elaborate Bethesda game on-the-go might also interest a new group of people including Nintendo users who have never tried Oblivion or Oblivion Remastered on other platforms.

The Elder Scrolls 6 Is Still a Long Way Away

The other point in favor of Oblivion Remastered is that the wait for The Elder Scrolls 6 has been going on too long, which means that gamers who crave another Elder Scrolls experience will find little choice.

This is the reason why Oblivion Remastered becomes a crucial game for the franchise. Despite the fact that it is not an entirely new addition to the series, the combination of improved graphics, contemporary technologies, and a huge open world gives the player base a good reason to play Oblivion one more time.

As for the Nintendo Switch 2 players, they will see that their console now receives another third-party RPG game. Even more importantly, the fact that Oblivion Remastered works well enough on the new hardware means that developers can take advantage of technologies like DLSS.

It would be hard to argue that the Nintendo Switch 2 port of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered is the most advanced version of the game. Users who want high settings, high resolution, and performance will probably be able to find better versions of Oblivion Remastered on PC and other consoles.

At the same time, it seems that this port has been designed correctly. It offers decent image quality, good DLSS implementation and usually maintains a decent frame rate of about 30 frames per second regardless of the game's demanding graphics made using Unreal Engine 5.

Considering that this achievement has been made for a portable system, the result should be called impressive. This means that the developers have made a well-optimized port of the game which works well thanks to the hardware of the platform.

Considering that The Elder Scrolls 6 seems to be far away from release, the owners of Nintendo Switch 2 can have enough time to explore Cyrodiil. If the mobility of the console helps users play Oblivion Remastered more often, then this port may become one of the best versions of the game.