Which Oculus Quest 2 storage size should you get?

Choosing between the Oculus Quest 2 64GB vs. 256GB? Both variants support the same features and have the same library of games. The only difference is the amount of storage available and the price of each device. The Oculus Quest 2 is available now starting at $299. Even though you probably won’t find the Oculus Quest 2 at a discount anytime soon, it’s a good deal thanks to its relatively low starting price and solid VR performance.

Around Black Friday, I wrote that the Oculus Quest 2 is a great purchase even if it isn’t on sale. The headset was a popular gift over the holidays, and the new year is a great time to gift yourself this awesome device.

Neither headset has expandable storage, so you’re stuck with what you pay for. If you’re agonizing over whether 64GB is too restrictive or if you really need 256GB to fit your games, we’ll help you decide what you actually need.

Oculus Quest 2 64GB vs. Oculus Quest 2 256GB: What’s the difference?

Storage and price: Those are the only factors to look at when comparing these devices. They both have the same graphics, operating system, Quest gaming library and tech features. The form factor is also the same, so they work with the same Quest 2 accessories. They’re even the same colors. The only difference is the amount of storage available and the price.

The price jump might be the main deciding factor for users because you don’t give anything up when you opt for the option with more abundant storage.

Like any gaming console, the Oculus Quest 2 uses up a healthy chunk of its storage for required software: 11.3GB, to be exact. Plus, it comes pre-installed with a First Steps of Oculus Quest 2 experience, though you can delete it (freeing up 758.8MB) once you’re done. In practice, you get a little over 50GB of storage with the cheaper headset.

You can store custom content and media on the Oculus Quest 2, but many people will only store official games directly on the device. Oculus Quest games vary in size, but even large ones are small enough that you can keep several on the Quest. For example, on my original Oculus Quest, Robo Recall: Unplugged takes up 2.87GB, Vader Immortal: Episode I takes up 2.58GB, and SUPERHOT VR uses 5.17GB.

One thing to look out for is that games enhanced for the Oculus Quest 2 and some larger titles are getting up there in size. Star Wars: Tales From the Galaxy’s Edge is 5.69GB and Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners is 12GB if you install the trial. Those are some of the largest games available on the Oculus Quest, and you can still keep several of them on your headset without filling the 64GB model, but it’s worth noting that game sizes are trending up.

Some of the best Oculus Quest games are even smaller. Beat Saber only takes up 643.5 MB of space, though that number will balloon if you start downloading custom Beat Saber songs. Media apps are also relatively tiny, though the media you play on them can take up space.

Oculus Quest 2 64GB vs. Oculus Quest 2 256GB: How much storage do you really need?

If you’re trying to be savvy with your money, or you don’t want to pay for the storage you won’t use, then it’s crucial to examine how you plan to use the Oculus Quest 2 and figure out how much room you need.

If you’re a hardcore gamer and you want to download a lot of titles on your Oculus Quest 2, then you should opt for the 256GB variant of the headset. The Oculus Quest 2 doesn’t have a microSD card slot, so once it’s full, you’ll have to delete games or media to free up space.

If you plan to uninstall games as you get bored with them or finish them, then you’re probably going to be just fine with the 64GB version.

One important thing to note is that games requiring Oculus Link, such as Half-Life: Alyx, don’t take up additional storage on your Oculus Quest 2. This is a good thing since PCVR games can be massive. The games are stored on whatever PC you use to power your Oculus Link games, so you’ll need to have space on your PC. Both the 64GB and 256GB versions of the Oculus Quest 2 can run games through Oculus Link, so if you’re looking to connect your Oculus Quest 2 to your PC, either will work.

Oculus Quest 2 64GB vs. Oculus Quest 2 256GB: 64GB is enough (for most)

While games vary in size, they aren’t large enough to require the 256GB variant of the Oculus Quest 2 for most people.

If you’re the type of user that plays a specific set of games at a time and then removes them from a device, then you probably don’t need to spend the extra money for an additional 192GB of storage.

If budget isn’t a factor for you, or you want to make it more likely that you can always store your games and media on your VR headset, then you should get the 256GB variant. You don’t give up any features when you increase storage size, so it’s a one-time investment to get a better device.

As a bonus, Facebook upped the storage maximum for the Oculus Quest 2 when compared to the original Oculus Quest. Spending an extra $100 on an Oculus Quest 2 gets you four times the storage of the cheaper variant. Again, you might not need that extra storage, but it’s a good bargain.

No matter which storage variant of the headset you choose, you’ll get a great device. The Oculus Quest 2 earned an excellent score in our review and builds upon the already great original Oculus Quest.

Enough for most

Oculus Quest 2 64GB

$299 at Amazon
$299 at Best Buy
$299 at Oculus

Budget-friendly with enough storage for many users

The 64GB version of the Oculus Quest 2 supports all the same features and games as the larger version. While it’s unfortunate that there isn’t a microSD card slot, it has enough space for users who only keep specific games on their device at a time.

Room to work with

Oculus Quest 2 256GB

$399 at Amazon
$399 at Best Buy
$399 at Walmart

Enough storage for a larger library

This version with a larger storage capacity will be able to keep more games and media on your device at once. While it still doesn’t have a microSD slot, it can store multiple games and several larger media files.