„Complete and utter cap“: Steam Deck users clash over Oblivion Remastered ad

A lively discussion has emerged on Reddit over the 2025 remaster of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. As shown in a screenshot shared by thread creator u/Mrgotmilk, the game’s Steam page features an ad banner that promotes it as one of the most-played titles on the Steam Deck. “This is complete and utter cap, right?” the Reddit user asks in the thread title.

Part of the confusion likely stems from the fact that Oblivion Remastered does not currently appear in Steam’s official list of the 100 most-played Steam Deck games. The game is also not exactly known for running particularly well on Valve’s handheld. Our benchmarks show that even well-equipped gaming PCs can struggle with Oblivion Remastered. The creator of the Reddit thread also says that the open-world RPG runs poorly on his own PC, making it difficult for him to believe that it could deliver satisfactory performance on the Steam Deck.

At the time of writing, the thread had attracted around 500 comments. Many users likewise described Oblivion Remastered as unplayable on the handheld, with some reporting frequent drops below 30 FPS even at low graphics settings. Others, however, strongly disagreed.

“Playability” depends on your own expectations

A significant portion of the community reports frame rates of between 30 and 40 FPS, although only after carefully adjusting the settings. Common recommendations include lowering graphics quality, disabling Lumen and enabling XeSS upscaling. Reddit user u/caralt, for example, says the game was initially barely playable for him as well. After following a guide posted on Reddit, however, he was able to raise performance to around 30 FPS.

The discussion ultimately raises a broader question: When should a game be considered “playable”? For many handheld gamers, a stable 30 FPS on a small display is an acceptable compromise if it allows them to enjoy a graphically demanding RPG on the go. Others argue that a modern game is not truly playable unless it can maintain a steady 60 FPS. What counts as playable on a handheld for you? Share your thoughts in the comments.