Oblivion CRT: When Nostalgia, TikTok, and CRTs Collide in the Weirdest, Best Way

Let’s face it: the launch of Oblivion Remastered has unleashed a wave of nostalgia like few modern remasters ever could. Between the updated visuals and the flood of fan-made content, there’s been a whole lot of scrolling, sharing, and reliving going on. But one TikTok account—CRT Dream—just flipped the whole nostalgia trip into full retro mode.

This isn’t your usual side-by-side graphics comparison or lore breakdown. Instead, CRT Dream posted a video of Oblivion Remastered running on a CRT TV, and it hit harder than a Daedric warhammer.

“User, CRT Dream, posted their ‘Oblivion on a CRT’ video this week, and it shows off part of the joy of using a CRT well.”

Shout-out toJames Bentley at PC Gamer for spotlighting one of the coolest niche gaming trends we’ve seen all year. CRTs, remasters, and viral nostalgia trends on TikTok!

If that sentence alone doesn’t already make you feel like lighting a candle and pulling out your Xbox copy of Morrowind, then the setup will. The video shows a low-lit room, CRT glow in full force, and a flickering sense of digital romance you can’t replicate with a flat screen.

“Showing the TV in low light, with candles, and a copy of Morrowind on the original Xbox certainly evokes that vibe, but so too does the sound.”

Yes, the background track is titled Dark Fantasy Song Ambient Mix Slowed (Dorian Concept Hide CS01)—because, of course, it is. This whole setup isn’t just tech nostalgia. It’s art.

But why are people even doing this? Isn’t modern gaming all about 4K textures and ultra-low latency?

Well, sort of. But for some fans, the vibe matters more than the specs.

“Modern gaming on a CRT gives you vibrant, clear colors, deep blacks, and great whites. It is also very responsive. Just look at the video and tell me it doesn't add to the fantasy set up by Oblivion's grimey prison walls or high castles.”

That’s the thing about CRTs—they bring something to the experience that newer displays can’t. The smoothing of jagged edges, the contrast of shadows, and the inherently dreamlike quality of low-res screens help old games look better and new games feel older. In a good way.

That’s the strange power of CTR gaming. And it's not just an aesthetic—it's a niche experience with real impact on how people play and enjoy games. In the era of ultra-clean UI and sterile HDR, CRTs bring back the texture of imperfection. They're a reminder that gaming used to be... weird. And intimate. And sometimes a little broken.

“CRT TVs do have a pretty low resolution across the board, and this means a modern TV will look better in a technical sense, but those using CRT TVs aren't doing it to get the highest, most cutting-edge resolutions.”

CRT Dream knows that. Their whole TikTok account is about it. Scrolling through their feed, you’ll find Bloodborne, Bioshock Infinite, and even a trailer viewing for The Duskbloods, all shown through the glorious, pixel-bending haze of cathode ray tubes.

“CRT Dream is less about playing retro games and more about playing new games in a retro way.”

That hits different. Watching Bioshock Infinite with Higher by Creed blaring might sound like some cursed timeline, but through CRT Dream’s lens, it’s more like a tribute to passionate weirdos everywhere who just get it.

What’s even crazier is how much effort goes into these setups. It’s not just “plug and play.” You need adapters—HDMI to VGA, DisplayPort converters, maybe even old-school capture hardware. Game files often have to be edited to run in 4:3, and even the UI needs manual tweaking to scale properly.

“To get some of these games running on a CRT TV... you sometimes need to go into game files to get the game running on the 4:3 resolution necessary for the TV. Even then, further tinkering is often required to get the UI looking just right.”

And after all that, what do you get?

You get Silent Hill 2 Remake looking like it just crawled out of a 2003 Best Buy demo unit. You get Oblivion Remastered looking like the fantasy fever dream it was always meant to be. You get the kind of cozy, late-night gaming session that just hits on a spiritual level.

James Bentley wraps it all up with a personal note that many can relate to:

“I, unfortunately, had to get rid of a rather large CRT TV before leaving my home country, but I can't say CRT Dream hasn't tempted me to pick one up once more.”

And that’s the power of niche gaming. It’s not about tech specs or frame rates—it’s about creating a vibe. CRT Dream isn’t just documenting games on old hardware—they’re preserving a feeling. And in a world of 144Hz OLED flex, maybe it’s time we make a little room for the hum of static, the glow of glass, and the games that just feel better in 480i.

So yeah, Oblivion CTR might be a mood now. And we're kinda here for it.