The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition (2006): runs on Windows 11, Mac, Linux, Steam Deck?

Windows 11✓ with 4 fixes
Steam Deck✓ Playable
Mac✓ no Mac version, runs through CrossOver
Linux✓ Proton Gold

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition poster

Gamicality score 94 / 100

Playability today ★★★★★ 4

Runs today4.5 / 5
Design today3.5 / 5
See the checks

Steam user reviews Overwhelmingly Positive

50,661 reviews95% positive
Steam store page

Get it on Steam Get it on GOGDRM-free

Released: 2006
Developer: Bethesda Game Studios
Genre: RPG
Best version today: This 2006 original with both expansions is the one to pick for heavy modding and low system demands; the separate 2025 Oblivion Remastered is the friendlier start for most new players.
Time to beat: About 27.5 hours for the main story HowLongToBeat
Runs on: Windows, Linux, Steam Deck
Last checked: October 31, 2026

Does The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition run on Windows 11, Apple Silicon Macs, Linux and Steam Deck?

Windows 11	✓Runs with a fix. See the steps below. Source
Mac (Apple Silicon)	✓No Mac version is sold. Plays on a Mac through CrossOver or Parallels (AppleGamingWiki).
Linux	✓Through Proton. ProtonDB: Gold, runs perfectly after tweaks. Source
Steam Deck	✓Playable, as rated by Valve. May need some setup. Source

Played it lately? Press Works for me or Doesn’t work on your platform, so the next player knows. One click, no account. How we check where it runs

How to get The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition running today

What you need

Required Unofficial Oblivion PatchFixes thousands of bugs in the base game. Downloading from Nexus Mods needs a free account; it is also on AFK Mods.
Required Unofficial Shivering Isles PatchFixes bugs in the Shivering Isles expansion included in the Game of the Year Edition.
Required Oblivion Script Extender (xOBSE)Needed by Oblivion Display Tweaks and Blue's Engine Fixes; on Steam it loads by itself.
Required Oblivion Display TweaksReduces stutter, fixes high frame rate and FOV issues, adds borderless windowed mode and stops the crash on exit.
Optional Blue's Engine FixesFixes an engine bug that crashes the game when a texture path ends up in the upper 2 GB of memory.

Steps

Open a step for the full walkthrough.

Install the Unofficial Oblivion Patch and the Unofficial Shivering Isles Patch to fix thousands of bugs. No mod manager is needed; the game's launcher can turn them on.
1. Download both patches from their Nexus Mods pages.
2. Find the game folder: in Steam, right-click the game > Manage > Browse local files. Open the Data folder inside it.
3. Extract the Unofficial Oblivion Patch into the Data folder first, then the Unofficial Shivering Isles Patch.
4. Start the game from Steam to open the Oblivion launcher and click Data Files.
5. Tick Unofficial Oblivion Patch.esp and Unofficial Shivering Isles Patch.esp, then click OK.
6. Click Play. If the game fails to start, read the readme in the patch's Docs folder.
Install the Oblivion Script Extender (xOBSE), which the next fixes need.
1. Download the latest xOBSE zip from the releases page.
2. In Steam, right-click the game > Manage > Browse local files. This folder contains Oblivion.exe.
3. Copy obse_1_2_416.dll, obse_editor_1_2.dll, obse_steam_loader.dll and the Data folder from the zip into the game folder.
4. Start the game through Steam as usual. xOBSE loads by itself, so obse_loader.exe is not needed.
5. If an antivirus flags obse_loader.exe, the xOBSE page calls this a false positive.
Install Oblivion Display Tweaks to reduce stutter, add borderless windowed mode and stop the crash on exit.
1. Download Oblivion.Display.Tweaks.v1.3.zip from the releases page.
2. In Steam, right-click the game > Manage > Browse local files and open the Data folder.
3. Extract the zip into the Data folder, so the files end up in Data\OBSE\Plugins.
4. To change options such as borderless window, open oblivion_display_tweaks.ini in Data\OBSE\Plugins with Notepad.
5. Start the game through Steam.
Optionally add Blue's Engine Fixes to fix an engine crash.
1. Download BA_EngineFixes.zip from the releases page.
2. In Steam, right-click the game > Manage > Browse local files and open the Data folder.
3. Extract the zip into the Data folder, so BA_EngineFixes.dll ends up in Data\OBSE\Plugins.
4. Start the game through Steam.

Synopsis

An open-world fantasy role-playing game set in the province of Cyrodiil, where demonic gates are opening across the land. You build a character from scratch, then follow the main quest or wander off to join guilds, clear dungeons and take on hundreds of side quests. This edition includes the Knights of the Nine and Shivering Isles expansions.

What people say

Critics at release hailed it as a landmark, praising the size of the world, the freedom and the quest writing. Players today still single out the guild storylines, especially the Dark Brotherhood and Thieves Guild, and the Shivering Isles expansion. The most common complaint, then and now, is enemy level scaling that makes the world grow tougher as you do and can punish careless character building. Dated faces, frequent bugs and a stiff, simple melee system are the other recurring criticisms.

Playability today

The average of two parts, each from 1 to 5. Tap a check to see why. How it works

Runs today

4.5 / 5

✓Sold or given away today by an official source
✗Needs fan patches to run well on Windows 11
✓Single-player works without an internet connection
GOG sells a DRM-free version that plays offline (GOG).
✓All of its content still works (servers, DLC, unlocks)
PCGamingWiki records no shut-down servers or lost content (PCGamingWiki).
✓Supports modern resolutions and widescreen
Native widescreen and modern resolutions (PCGamingWiki).
✓Full controller support or remappable controls
Controller support (PCGamingWiki).
✓Steam Deck Verified or Playable
✓No intrusive DRM or required third-party launcher account
✓No pay-to-win or pushy microtransactions
✓No known game-breaking bugs in the current version
PCGamingWiki lists no unresolved issues (PCGamingWiki).

From the Steam store, Valve’s Steam Deck rating and the sources under each check. Checks not confirmed yet don’t count.

Design today

3.5 / 5

✓Controls feel natural on a modern controller or mouse and keyboard
Mouse and keyboard play uses direct WASD movement, a block button and eight hotkeys, and an Xbox 360 or other XInput controller also works on Windows. Source: en.uesp.net, rpgcodex.net.
✗Menus, text or interface are hard to read on today's screens
The menus are console-style lists that Game Informer called cumbersome, and PC players complained that Escape does not close menus and that the hotkeys cannot be remapped. Source: gameinformer.com, forum.quartertothree.com.
✓Saving is fair: free saves or frequent checkpoints, little lost progress
The player can save from the menu or quick-save with F5, and by default the game autosaves when entering a new area, fast traveling, sleeping or waiting. Source: en.uesp.net, en.uesp.net.
✓It teaches itself: no guide needed to make progress
The prison escape tutorial walks through movement, combat, magic, sneaking and lockpicking, and offers a last chance to change race, class and birthsign before the open world, where the journal and map guide the rest. Source: en.uesp.net.
✗Pacing drags: grind, filler or forced backtracking
Most enemies level with the player, a system reviewers have long criticized, and the random Oblivion Gates all lead to one of seven realm layouts that look the same after the first visit. Source: en.uesp.net, rpgcodex.net.
✓Camera and movement never fight the player
One key switches between first- and third-person views at any time, so the player can choose the camera that suits the situation. Source: en.uesp.net.