Which Oculus Quest 2 storage size should you get?

Note that Oculus Quest 2 sales have been temporarily halted so Facebook can replace faulty foam face pads. Sales of new Quest 2 units are expected to resume on August 24. We will update this article then with live retail links at that time.

Oculus Quest 2 128GB vs. Oculus Quest 2 256GB: Pricing and availability

Choosing between the Oculus Quest 128GB vs. 256? 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 currently on a sales hiatus due to a recall of the foam pad in the box. However, the Quest 2 will be sold again on August 24, 2021, and will include a new SKU.

That new SKU doubles the amount of storage space to 128GB without adjusting the price. That means that we can once again recommend the most affordable version of the Oculus Quest 2 as the best version for most people.

Gamers who might want to future-proof a bit could still consider the 256GB version, but the $399 price makes it a bit more difficult to afford. The original Oculus Quest 256GB version didn’t make much sense to spend extra money on because original Quest games used to average around 1 to 2GB in size. These days, the best Quest games now hover around the 8 to 12GB range for many titles.

That being said, 128GB is still plenty for folks that don’t plan on having more than 20 to 30 games installed at a time, especially since the price of the best Oculus Quest 2 accessories can add up quickly.

Just keep in mind that the Quest 2 doesn’t support expandable storage at all. That’s particularly problematic when you consider the fact that many games don’t support cloud saves yet, which means uninstalling a game will delete the save files, too.

Oculus Quest 2 128GB vs. Oculus Quest 2 256GB: What’s the difference?

The Oculus Quest 128GB vs. 256GB headsets have the same graphics, operating system, Quest 2 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.

Each headset should perform identically in virtually any scenario. The only exception would be filling your 128GB model to above 99% capacity, which could cause issues when saving games. This once happened to me while playing Jurassic World Aftermath on the original 64GB Quest 2 model, which corrupted my save file because it didn’t have enough space to write the entire save.

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 few demos and First Steps tutorials, but those can be uninstalled if you wish, freeing up a few hundred megabytes. In practice, you get a little over 116GB of actual storage with the 128GB Quest 2, while the 256GB Quest 2 has a whopping 245GB left for games storage.

Oculus Quest 2 128GB vs. Oculus Quest 2 256GB: Game sizes, game saves, and multimedia

You can store custom content and media on the Oculus Quest 2, but most users will only store official games directly on the device. So to decide how much space you actually need, think about how many games you plan to buy and the average game sizes for each.

Original Oculus Quest games only took up about 1 to 2GB of space, but recent games have significantly bumped that size up to 8 to 12GB or more.

Looking at some of the best Oculus Quest 2 games, Many of the classics are 2GB and under, with popular games like Beat Saber (643MB), Pistol Whip (1.8GB), Echo VR (650MB), Rec Room (1.7GB), and SUPERHOT (1.96GB) only grabbing a small portion of storage space.

On the other hand, newer games made with the Quest 2’s enhanced graphical power tend to be a bit larger: Star Wars: Tales From the Galaxy’s Edge is 5.69GB, Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners is nearly 12GB, and Myst is almost 9GB. It’s also worth noting that game sizes will grow if you download DLC or sideload custom content, like downloading custom Beat Saber songs or any of the DLC song packs available.

On average, you’ll likely be able to fit 30 to 40 games comfortably on the 128GB Quest 2 model. Of course, if you start running out of room, you can always uninstall games to make room for new ones, but it’s probably not likely that most people will keep more than 30 actively played games on their headset at a time.

Quest users can uninstall games to make room, but this will likely cause you to lose your in-game progress permanently.

Note that there is a significant downside to deleting games to make room for new ones. Oculus doesn’t separate save files from game files, nor does it require developers to save users’ data in the cloud. So if you delete a game, you’ll very likely lose all your data. It’s a frustrating oversight for any gaming console in 2021, and it’s one reason to consider the 256GB Quest 2 if you plan on having lots of games. On the other hand, your old games can sit there indefinitely, waiting for you to revisit them.

Your final consideration should be if you plan to download copies of films, TV shows, music, or other multimedia to your Quest 2, so you can watch them in VR. High-quality video content, especially if it’s 4K, tends to take up several gigabytes of space for each show or movie, meaning your 128GB Quest 2 will fill up faster than the 256GB Quest 2.

We’re pretty sure this applies to a fairly niche crowd, as most users will just stream content on the best media apps for the Oculus Quest 2 like YouTube, Prime Video, and Netflix without downloading it. But if you do plan to download your personal content, strongly consider the 256GB Quest 2.

Oculus Quest 2 128GB vs. Oculus Quest 2 256GB: 128GB is best for the average gamer

Folks planning on playing mostly Quest-native games on their Oculus Quest 2 shouldn’t have a problem running out of storage any time soon. With enough space to comfortably fit at least 30 games at a time, the 128GB Quest 2 is a great choice for anyone looking to get the best-priced version of Facebook’s latest VR headset.

For anyone planning to primarily use their Quest 2 to play PC VR games, the amount of storage on the Oculus Quest 2 won’t be much of a concern since SteamVR and Oculus Rift game files are stored on your PC. Games like Half-Life: Alyx, which are too massive for the Quest 2, won’t take up a single megabyte on the headset itself.

Since you’ll be saving $100 by opting for the less-expensive 64GB Quest 2, you can pick up a few of the best Oculus Quest 2 accessories to enhance your headset’s comfort and keep the battery lasting longer. A great Wi-Fi 6 router will make the biggest difference if you’re looking for a wireless PC VR experience, as apps like Virtual Desktop can deliver a near-perfect wireless experience on fast networks and powerful PCs.

Oculus Quest 2 128GB vs. Oculus Quest 2 256GB: 256GB is the best choice for power users

While it’s great to have double the storage for extra games, the number of people who might need this storage — and are willing to pay $100 more to get it — is probably pretty low. That being said, if you are a gamer who regularly moves between multiple games at a time, or you often find yourself returning to old games to one-up your best score, the 256GB model could be a good fit for you. Otherwise, stick to the 128GB model and save some money.

The best fit for most

Oculus Quest 2 128GB

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

A budget-friendly option

The 128GB Oculus Quest 2 supports all the same features and games as the larger version. Since Facebook doubled the amount of storage of the original Quest 2 release without raising the price, it’s hard to argue that you’ll need anything more.

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.