Oculus Quest 2 128GB vs. 256GB: Which should you buy?

Stuck between the Oculus Quest 128GB vs. 256GB? Both variants support the same features and have the same library of games, so the only difference is the amount of storage available and the price of each device.

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

After a brief sales hiatus last August, Oculus debuted a new SKU that doubled the amount of storage space to 128GB without changing the price of the original 64GB model. 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 less affordable for most. It didn't make much sense to spend extra money on the 256GB original Oculus Quest because most of its games used to average around 1-2GB in size. These days, most of our favorite Oculus Quest 2 games now tend to land somewhere around the 8-12GB range.

That said, 128GB is still plenty for folks that don't plan on having more than 20 to 30 games installed at a time, and given the price of all the vital Oculus Quest 2 accessories you'll need, it's hard to justify shelling out the extra cash.

Just keep in mind that the Quest 2 doesn't support expandable storage at all. So if you're looking to store a bunch of movies for offline viewing — or planning on keeping all your games installed at once — the 256GB model might make more sense.

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, gaming library, and tech features. The form factor is also the same, so they work with the same Quest 2 face covers or head straps. They're even the same color — white. The only difference is the amount of storage available and the price.

Both headsets boast the same specifications, so they should perform identically in nearly 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 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 tutorials, but those can be uninstalled, freeing up a few hundred megabytes. In practice, you get just over 116GB of actual storage with the 128GB Quest 2, while the 256GB Quest 2 ships with a gargantuan 245GB left for games, experiences, and movies.

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

(Image credit: Nick Sutrich / Android Central)

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 popular 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 a new custom home environment.

One of the oddest quirks of the Oculus operating system is that updates require extra space to download and unpack before they're installed, meaning you'll have to have at least as much additional free space available as the game takes up. That can be particularly difficult on those larger games, which will require you to free up space before updating.

On average, you'll only be able to fit about 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 headsets at a time.

The Quest is finally getting a cloud save system that will keep players from losing their save files when games are uninstalled.

Up until recently, uninstalling a game deleted your save data permanently, which made us recommend the 256GB model. But now the Quest uses a cloud save system to preserve your save data automatically. Even old games made before Oculus's cloud save system are compatible; and it retroactively backs up any saves located on the Quest, without you having to do anything.

The v35 Quest update added cloud saves, meaning you can delete games off the 128GB Quest 2 without fear. Having the 256GB model means you don't have to watch your storage space as closely. But now you can safely delete games you've already beaten without worry, knowing you can always redownload it later if the mood strikes.

However, 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, it's another story. High-quality video content, especially if it's 4K, tends to take up several gigabytes of space for each show or movie, so your 128GB Quest 2 will fill up faster than the 256GB Quest 2. Deleting and managing storage for custom content is much more of a hassle.

We're pretty sure this applies to a 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

(Image credit: Nick Sutrich / Android Central)

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 an excellent choice for anyone looking to get the best-priced version of Meta'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 128GB 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 and Oculus Air Link 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

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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 said, if you are a gamer who plays multiple different 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 to spend on games and accessories.