The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered is a beloved classic made fresh. With better graphics and smoother gameplay, it’s got a new life. But sometimes, your game just doesn’t feel as fast or responsive as it should. Guess what? Extra language files might be slowing you down.
Yep, leftover files that you’re not even using could be eating up resources. Today, we’re going to fix that. Don’t worry — it’s easy! We’ll walk you through how to find and remove those extra language files step by step.
Why Language Files Matter
Oblivion Remastered, especially if it’s a modded version, often includes support for multiple languages. That’s great for global players, but if you only play in English (or any one language), you don’t need the rest.
Those extra files can:
- Take up disk space
- Slow down file loading
- Cause possible mod conflicts
- Make troubleshooting harder
So, let’s clean up our game folder. Don’t worry — we’re not deleting anything important. Just unused junk!
Step 1: Locate Your Game Folder
First things first. We need to find where your game is installed.
If you’re using Steam:
- Open Steam
- Right-click on Oblivion in your Library
- Select Manage → Browse Local Files
This will open the game’s root folder. Yay! You’re in.
If you installed Oblivion from a different launcher, just find where you installed it manually. You’re looking for a folder with something like this:
Oblivion/Data
Step 2: Identify Language Files
Inside the Data folder, you’ll see a bunch of files. Don’t panic!
Language files usually have names ending in .STR or .DLG. You might also see folders like:
- Strings
- Voice
- Sound (with language subfolders)
These might contain subfolders called French, German, Spanish, or Italian.
What to Look For:
- *.STR files with language names (like Dialogs_French.STR)
- Voice folders like Sound/Voice/French
- Subfolders in Strings like de, fr, es
If you only need English, these other folders and files are unnecessary. They just sit there getting read during game startup.
Step 3: Make a Backup (Just in Case!)
Before removing anything — back it up. Safety first!
- Create a new folder on your desktop.
- Name it something like “Oblivion Language Backup”.
- Copy the language files and folders you plan to delete into that folder.
If anything goes wrong (though it shouldn’t), you can always restore them later.
Step 4: Delete the Extra Language Files
Now comes the fun part — delete those unnecessary files!
Start with these common ones:
- Data/Strings/Spanish
- Data/Strings/French
- Data/Sound/Voice/Italian
- Dialogs_German.STR
Only keep the English ones, like:
- Dialogs_English.STR
- Data/Strings/English
- Data/Sound/Voice/English
Be sure not to delete the whole Sound folder, just the language portions you don’t need.
Step 5: Double-Check Your Mods
If you’re using mods (like most Oblivion Remastered users are), some of them might come with their own language files.
So, take a peek inside your mod folders. Check for extra language folders and files using the same naming patterns: FR, ES, DE, and so on.
Again — keep a backup before deleting anything.
Step 6: Launch the Game and Test It
All right! Moment of truth…
Launch your game. Make sure everything works. Do your menus show up in English? Are NPCs speaking normally? Any weird crashes?
If yes — stop right there and restore a backup.
If everything looks good — SUCCESS! 🎉
Bonus Tip: Use Mod Managers
Want to make this safer and cleaner in the future? Use a mod manager like:
- Mod Organizer 2 — Great for advanced control
- Wrye Bash — Made for Bethesda games
These tools let you inspect what files each mod is adding. That way, if a mod dumps voice files in Russian, you can catch it right away.
Extra Performance Gains
Removing extra language files won’t double your FPS, but it helps! Your game starts faster. You have fewer conflicts. Your mod list becomes more manageable.
Plus, every megabyte saved counts when loading files and textures.
Final Advice
Here’s what to remember:
- Stick to one language folder — usually English
- Back up before deleting
- Remove duplicates in mods
- Use a mod manager to monitor new installs
Cleaning up unused files is like clearing your garage. More space, faster access, no more stepping on old tools (aka crashes 😉).
Conclusion
Oblivion Remastered is amazing, but small improvements can make a big difference. Trimming down unneeded language files is a quick and simple way to streamline your game.
Less clutter. Faster load times. Fewer conflicts.
It’s a win-win-win!
Now go enjoy Tamriel with a lighter, faster loadout. And may your frame rates be high and loading screens short!
