Fix: “Out of Video Memory” TES IV: Oblivion Remastered Error

The “Out of Video Memory” error indicates that your GPU has run out of available VRAM, which forces the game to crash, often before reaching the main menu. This typically occurs when the game engine fails to allocate VRAM efficiently, especially on systems with limited GPU memory.

Besides VRAM limitations, this issue can also be triggered by incorrect render settings, corrupted cache data, or damaged configuration files that conflict with the graphics driver. Missing or broken game files inside the installation directory can also cause the same crash.

Now that we’ve reviewed the common causes, let’s move on to the most effective fixes.

1. Delete Shader Cache Files

The shader cache can become inconsistent with the driver version or rendering pipeline, especially after updates or mod installations. When the engine attempts to load corrupted or outdated shader objects, it can cause invalid memory references and excessive VRAM allocation, ultimately leading to the “Out of Video Memory” error. By deleting the cache, you force Oblivion to regenerate a fresh set of shaders aligned with the current driver state, ensuring stable memory usage and consistent rendering.

1. Make sure The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and any related mod manager tools are fully closed.
2. Open File Explorer and go to the following location:

   C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\Oblivion

3. Inside the Oblivion folder, look for the following files and folders and Delete them:

   RendererInfo.txt
   
   ShaderCache folder (if present)

   

4. Launch Oblivion Remastered. The game will regenerate fresh shader cache files. 

2. Modify Oblivion.ini Settings

The Oblivion.ini file directly controls how the game engine interacts with your GPU, including VRAM allocation and shader execution. Disabling expensive effects such as refraction and water shaders reduces real-time memory consumption, while manually setting iVideoMemorySizeMB prevents the engine from over-committing VRAM, minimizing the chances of triggering the “Out of Video Memory” error.

1. Ensure the game and any mod managers (like Wrye Bash or Mod Organizer) are not running.
2. Navigate to the following directory:

   C:\Users\[YourUsername]\Documents\My Games\Oblivion

3. Right-click the Oblivion.ini file and select Open with > Notepad (or any text editor).
   
4. Press Ctrl + F, type VideoMemory or scroll to the section named Display.
5. Under Display, change or add the following lines:

   iVideoMemorySizeMB=2048
   bUseWaterShader=0
   bUseRefractionShader=0

6. iVideoMemorySizeMB: Set this to half of your actual GPU memory (e.g., 2048 for a 4GB card).
   
7. After editing, click File > Save, then close the text editor.
   
8. Launch the game and see if the video memory error still occurs.

3. Switch to DirectX 11

In contrast to DirectX 12 witch The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion Remastered normally uses. DirectX 11 (through the DXVK translation layer) offers a more stable memory allocation model with lower VRAM demands, since it uses a mature and widely supported driver stack. By switching to DX11, the game avoids excessive VRAM pressure and achieves greater runtime stability, especially on hardware with limited GPU memory.

1. Visit the official DXVK GitHub page and download the latest dxvk-[version].tar.gz release.
   
2. Extract the downloaded folder by using 7-Zip or WinRAR.
   
3. Copy the following files from the x32 folder:

   d3d9.dll
   
   dxgi.dll

   

4. Paste them into your Oblivion installation directory (where Oblivion.exe is located), typically:

   C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Oblivion

   

5. Play the game for a while and monitor VRAM usage. If the Out of Video Memory error no longer appears, the switch was successful.

4. Remove NVIDIA DLSS Plugin Files

Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) relies on Tensor cores available only on modern NVIDIA RTX GPUs. If these plugin libraries (nvngx_dlss.dll, dlss.dll, etc.) are present in the game directory, the engine may try to initialize DLSS even on hardware that does not support it. This results in failed API calls and abnormal VRAM allocation, which can trigger the “Out of Video Memory” error. Removing these files forces the engine to bypass DLSS initialization, ensuring the renderer uses the standard rasterization path that is compatible with all GPUs.

1. Close Oblivion and any mod managers.
2. Go to the main installation directory:

   C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Oblivion

3. Locate and delete any of these files:

   nvngx_dlss.dll nvngx_dlssg.dll dxil.dll dlss.dll

4. Launch the game again and check if VRAM errors persist.

1. Make sure Oblivion and any related mod managers (e.g., Mod Organizer, Wrye Bash) are fully closed.
2. Open File Explorer and go to the main Oblivion install directory:

   C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Oblivion

3. Search for any of the following files and delete them:

   nvngx_dlss.dll
   
   nvngx_dlssg.dll
   
   dxil.dll
   
   dlss.dll

   

4. Launch Oblivion again and see if the issue persists.

5. Verify the Game Files

If all the above methods fail, the error may be triggered by missing or corrupted core assets. Using Steam’s Verify Integrity of Game Files feature forces the client to re-check each file against the official manifest. Any corrupted binaries, broken shaders, or missing textures are automatically replaced with fresh copies, restoring the engine’s ability to manage memory without conflicts.

1. Launch Steam and go to your Library.
2. Right-click The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and select Properties.
   
3. Go to Installed Files tab on the left, and click Verify Integrity of Game Files.
   
4. Once complete, launch Oblivion Remastered and check if the error still appears.