Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered is a game that crashes with regularity for many players. One player said this about Oblivion Remastered crashing, “Game keeps crashing every 10 minutes as soon as I completed the tutorial.” Other players have reported that the game crashes when exiting the sewers. Regular in-game crashing can make Oblivion Remastered unplayable. This is how you can fix regular in-game Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered crashing on Windows PCs.
Run Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion in Compatibility Mode
Players confirm that setting Elder Scrolls IV to run in a Windows 8 compatibility mode can fix the Oblivion Remastered crashing. While you’re at it, setting admin permissions for the game is another recommended troubleshooting method. This is how you can configure Elder Scrolls IV to run in compatibility mode with admin rights:
- Open the Steam\steamapps\common\Oblivion Remastered\OblivionRemastered\Binaries\Win64 game installation folder path in File Explorer.
- Next, right-click the OblivionRemastered-Win64-Shipping.exe file to select Properties and Compatibility.
- Select Run this program in compatibility mode and the Windows 8 platform option.
Run this program in compatibility mode checkbox
- Next, configure the game to run with elevated privileges by selecting the Run this program as administrator setting.
- Select Apply to save the compatibility settings as configured.
- Click OK to exit the window.
Set Low Graphical Settings
Some players have fixed regular in-game Oblivion Remastered crashing by setting low graphical settings for the game. Applying this possible resolution might disable more advanced graphical features that can cause crashing issues. Try setting low graphical settings in the game like this:
- Start your Oblivion Remastered game.
- Click Options on the main menu.
- Select the Graphics tab.
- Reduce all the graphical options to the lowest settings possible. Select Off for all settings you can disable.
The graphics settings in Oblivion Remastered
- Press F to apply the settings.
There is some leeway for how you can apply this potential resolution. For example, you can try lowering the graphical settings to medium values first. If that doesn’t work, then lower the settings further.
Delete the Sl.pcl.dll File
Sl.pcl.dll is a NVIDIA DLSS framework file that can conflict with the Oblivion game engine. Players have reported that erasing the sl.pcl.dll can resolve persistent Oblivion Remastered crashing. You can erase that file like this:
- Go to the Steam\steamapps\common\Oblivion Remastered\Engine\Plugins\Marketplace\nvidia\DLSS\Streamline\Binaries\ThirdParty\Win64 folder in File Explorer.
- Click the sl.pcl.dll file to select it.
The sl.pcl.dll file
- Select the Delete option in Explorer to erase the file.
Verify (Repair) Game Files
Bethesda’s support service recommends players run verification (repair) scans to fix Oblivion Remastered crashing. You can scan for corrupted files in Steam as instructed on this Valve support page. Alternatively, select the Verify and Repair option for Elder Scrolls IV in the Xbox App as outlined on this Bethesda help page.
The Verify integrity option
Turn Off Overlay Features
Overlay features don’t always mix well with certain games. So, try disabling any overlays enabled in third-party software installed on your PC. Steam, GeForce Experience, Discord, and AMD Radeon are four popular software packages for PC gaming that include overlay features.
The In-Game Overlay setting
Update Graphics Drivers
Updating graphical drivers is a potential fix that the Bethesda help service recommends for troubleshooting Oblivion Remastered crashing. If you’ve not installed a new graphics driver for more than a year, you should certainly try doing so. Install the latest, compatible driver for your PC’s GPU with one of the methods outlined in this KeenGamer guide.
The NVIDIA graphics driver page
Reinstall Elder Scrolls
A few players also say they’ve fixed Oblivion Remastered crashing by reinstalling the game. Aside from refreshing game files, applying this potential fix will also erase mods that can cause crashing issues to arise. These are the steps for reinstalling Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered with Steam:
- Run the Steam client software and click on Library in its tab bar.
- Right-click the Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered game to select Manage and Uninstall.
- Click Uninstall when prompted to confirm.
The Uninstall option
- Press the Install button for the uninstalled Elder Scrolls game in the Library tab.
- Click the second Install option.
Other Possible Ways to Fix Oblivion Remastered Crashing
There are probably more ways you can fix regular in-game Oblivion Remastered crashing beyond those covered above. Here are some additional suggestions for fixing the crashing in Elder Scrolls IV:
- Erase the Win64 folder in the C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Oblivion path directory.
- Set a -DX11 or -DX12 launch option for Elder Scrolls IV in Steam.
- Set Elder Scrolls IV to run with fullscreen optimizations disabled. You can do that by selecting the Disable fullscreen optimizations option for the game’s EXE file in the Compatibility tab.
- Install all available Windows 11 updates as instructed on this Microsoft page.
I hope one of the potential resolutions above fixes the regular in-game Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered crashing on your PC. Applying such remedies might at least reduce the regularity of the crashing if not eliminate it. If the game continues to crash too much, try sending an Elder Scrolls IV support ticket to the Bethesda help service.
