It’s not too great a stretch to say thatThe Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remasteredis one of the best Microsoft games of the past several years. Despite being molded around the skeleton of a nearly twenty-year-old title,Oblivion Remasteredcan still competewith the rest of Microsoft’s modern portfolio when it comes to visuals, charm, and overall allure.
Put simply,Oblivion Remasteredis a treat for gamers of all ages and demographics—and this is doubly true considering its availability.Oblivion Remastered, much like other high-profile Xbox games likeIndiana Jones and the Great Circle, is available on the PlayStation 5 as well as PC and Xbox Series consoles. In isolation, this isn’t too significant: the originalOblivionwas released on PlayStation, after all. But naturally, nothing in gaming occurs in a vacuum, and in light of Microsoft’s somewhat opaque multiplatform release strategy, the choice to bring one of Xbox’s biggest games of 2025 to the PS5 carries new meaning.
What Oblivion Remastered’s PS5 Port Could Mean for Xbox’s Future Release Plans
Xbox’s Multiplatform Approach Thus Far
Perhaps the biggest pain point for Microsoft during the last console generation was its lack of exclusives relative to competitors Sony and Nintendo. Indeed, whilePlayStation players regularly received first-party hitslikeGod of War,Marvel’s Spider-Man, andThe Last of Us 2, Xbox owners were often restricted to small-scale successes and AAA games with lukewarm receptions, such asHalo 5.
It’s against this backdrop that the Xbox Series consoles were released, and it looked, for a moment, like Microsoft was taking the kid gloves off: the media giant had Hoovered up a number of talented, high-profile studios, the most notable of whichwere under the Bethesda and Activision-Blizzard umbrellas. With so much new talent on Team Green, gamers from all corners of the industry were anticipating a considerable ramping-up of Xbox’s efforts with first-party exclusives.
But that’s not what wound up happening. While Xbox would retain exclusive rights for some heavy hitters, includingHalo InfiniteandStarfield, several of the company’s biggest releases would either release on PlayStation day-one, or be slated for a PS5 release post-launch, aswas the case for the recentIndiana Jonesgame. As it stands, audiences are more or less in the dark regarding Xbox’s plans for future releases, as CEO Phil Spencer has essentially stated that nothing is off the table with respect to exclusivity and ports outside the Xbox ecosystem.
One of Xbox’s most telling signals regarding exclusivity came only recently, withForza Horizon 5’s arrival on PS5.
Oblivion Remastered Sends an Interesting Message About Xbox Exclusivity
The exclusivity of titles likeHalo Infinitehasn’t come as much of a surprise to most players,Starfield’s lack of a PS5 port was a bit weightier. It seemingly set a precedent, one that said that future Bethesda RPGs would be on Xbox and PC only, realizing the implicit promise Xbox made when purchasing Bethesda Game Studios. Regardless of what one thinks of this ostensible approach, it certainly mirrored Sony’s aggressive exclusivity, especially with respect to its leading IP.
Starfieldwas the only major Bethesda Game Studios title to release during the ninth console generation—untilOblivion Remastered. The fact that this more recent game is multiplatform seems to fly in the face of the strategy depicted withStarfield’s release, raising interesting questions about future BGS titles.Games likeFallout 6andThe Elder Scrolls 6have long been some of the biggest question marks in Xbox’s portfolio, since they belong to such powerful and iconic franchises.Starfieldwas one thing—it’s a brand-new IP, after all—but Xbox could have sent a clear message about its plans for exclusive titles withOblivion Remastered. As it stands, it seems even safer to guess that future Bethesda games, perhaps evenStarfield, will saunter over to PS5 at some point.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
WHERE TO PLAY
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion™ Remastered modernizes the 2006 Game of the Year with all new stunning visuals and refined gameplay. Explore the vast landscape of Cyrodiil like never before and stop the forces of Oblivion from overtaking the land in one of the greatest RPGs ever from the award-winning Bethesda Game Studios.Rediscover CyrodiilJourney through the rich world of Tamriel and battle across the planes of Oblivion where handcrafted details have been meticulously recreated to ensure each moment of exploration is awe-inspiring.Navigate Your Own StoryFrom the noble warrior to the sinister assassin, wizened sorcerer, or scrappy blacksmith, forge your path and play the way you want.Experience an Epic AdventureStep inside a universe bursting with captivating stories and encounter an unforgettable cast of characters. Master swordcraft and wield powerful magic as you fight to save Tamriel from the Daedric invasion.The Complete StoryExperience everything Oblivion has to offer with previously released story expansions Shivering Isles, Knights of the Nine, and additional downloadable content included in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered.
