So with the Oculus Quest 2 or the Meta Quest 2 (depending on how trendy you are) dominating the virtual reality market, there is one outstanding question you need to answer. No, it’s not whether or not you’re going to buy one because that answer is obviously yes! The real question is which version do you buy? Do you pick up the 64GB storage or the 256GB storage? Well, the answer to that question isn’t as easy as you might think! Both come with excellent positives and negatives which we’ll cover for you. Oculus Quest 2 64 vs 256. Let’s get into it!
Why Buy An Oculus Quest 2
Photo screenshot from Meta Quest official YouTube channel
Okay, so let’s get that first easy question out of the way before we get stuck into the meat and bones of 64 vs 256! There are many great reasons to buy an Oculus Quest 2. The most prominent reason is how excellent the finished product really is. There are already over 10 million Quest 2 headsets out in the wild with a massive player base and an amazingly supportive community. The Quest 2 was leaped ahead of the original even on launch day and has had many updates and quality of life improvements over the last year or so. The price point for either unit is incredibly cheap when compared to any of the other competitors and the cost of entry is non-existent! What I mean by this is you don’t need any other requirements or equipment or pre-purchases before getting your Quest 2. No beefy PC needed, no PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5 console … all the Quest 2 needs is you!
Not only that, but the unit itself has inside-out tracking so no podiums or external camera setups are needed and it’s also wireless, so you can take it with you. Have fun bumping into different objects in different rooms…the freedom of movement is astounding with the Oculus Quest 2.
Add to that the sharp resolution, the decent field of view, and the option to link to your PC either wired or wirelessly through Air Link and you have yourself the best of both worlds. All your PC library plus Steam VR are at your fingertips with the added processing power of your PC to back it up. What is not to love about the Oculus Quest 2? No wonder it has sold 10 million units and continues to impress.
Put simply, the Oculus Quest 2 or the Meta Quest 2 is an amazing all-in-one virtual reality package. The library of quality games coupled with the amazing technology and below-cost price market value make it an absolute beast! This is why it’s dominating the virtual reality hardware market and has no comparative rivals worth speaking of to date. That might be changing soon but we’ll save that for a future article!
64GB or 256GB Oculus Quest 2 (Or 128GB vs 256gb)
Photo screenshot from Meta Quest official YouTube channel
So the real question isn’t whether or not you’re buying one because we’ve just covered that you are! The big question is which model to buy. Well, luckily for you, Meta has made that decision a little easier by closing the gap on the storage space. Unlike the first Quest, they have made the 64GB version obsolete and now only offer either a 128GB or 256GB version for you to choose between (seemingly at no real extra price hike compared to previous iterations). Should you go with low storage at 128GB or drop an extra hundred bucks and get a whopping 256GB storage instead. Let’s start small and work our way up, shall we?
128GB Oculus Quest 2 Version Pros
After system files and the operating system have taken their slice of the pie, you are pretty much left with 110GB of free storage space for your own personal use. This is not a bad amount of space. On next-gen consoles like the PS5 and XBox, we’re used to seeing triple-A titles take up anywhere between 20-50GB alone though. If that was to translate directly to VR, then you’re only looking at being capable of storing one to three titles on your Quest 2 before it’s full. Luckily, that is not how it works currently for virtual reality. VR games are typically far smaller in file size than their console buddies. A lot of VR titles are below 1GB which is nice and filling up your storage isn’t as easily done as it is on a console.
Future Proof Means 256GB
Even though most VR titles are quite small in size, there are already a few that can take up a hefty chunk of your storage. Resident Evil 4 for example is just under 10GB and that is just the base game. With mercenary mode coming soon and quality of life updates, that figure could reasonably jump up to 15GB without much effort. Resident Evil 4 VR is also considered one of the must-have Quest 2 titles and is an essential purchase for most. When you consider this is a port of an old cube game, you can only imagine what size a modern FPS title might be.
On consoles currently. If you take a glance at Call of Duty: Cold War on the PS5, that game is a whopping 220GB in size. Now, nobody is currently working on VR titles with that type of file size but the future is unknown. As VR graphics and game design evolve, it’s fair to say that the more impressive releases will take up more space on your headset. So although you can currently have lots of titles stored on even the 128GB headset, that’s not to say it won’t change in the near future.
Video Play Back
Photo screenshot from Meta Quest official YouTube channel
One facet of the headset that is often overlooked is the video playback. Sure, gaming is fun and maybe all many people use theirs for but if you’re a movie lover then there’s a lot more to explore with your Quest 2. The ability to playback high-quality videos while sitting in a virtual environment is a jaw-dropping experience on the Oculus Quest. The only caveat is the file size of some movies. The get the best cinema experience, you are going to want to rip your Blu-rays or Ultra HD movies and copy them over to your headset storage for smooth playback. The additional capabilities of playing 3D movies through your headset also bumps up the file size of most movies you’re going to want to try out. Very high-quality movies can have file sizes of 20-30GB for just one movie. With that in mind, it would be very easy to exhaust the 128GB version, which is just a handful of movies and games in your library.
Oculus Quest 2 File Management
Of course, file management plays a huge part in your decision making. If you’re the sort of person who only stores what they are currently playing and watching on your headset, then the storage isn’t a big deal for you. One or two games and one or two movies are not going to punish your storage space. The beauty of purchasing games through the Oculus library is that you can uninstall and re-install them as often as you want. Once you don’t delete your saved data also, you’ll be able to pick up where you left off. Copying movies over is a long and tedious process though so you’re less likely to delete and re-copy these over and over again but it’s still possible. So if you’re organized and if you only need what you regularly use, then the cheaper 128GB version is clearly suited for you. If you’re less inclined to manage storage and like having lots of things at your fingertips, then the larger 256GB version is more to your liking.
Quest 2 Pricing and Overall Decision Making
Clearly, the biggest decision you have to make is which is reasonable and affordable for you. A price difference of $100 is no joke! If you can afford it, then the clear winner is the 256GB as there really are no downsides. If it’s too pricey or you’re thinking you might buy another headset soon (Quest 2 Pro), then maybe the base model with 128GB is the smarter choice. Whichever you choose, it’s unlikely you’ll be disappointed. My one suggestion is that whatever one you choose to buy, please make sure you keep a little bit of extra money aside so you can buy a new strap. Honestly, the head strap on the Oculus Quest 2 is an abomination. Sure, it’s serviceable for small play sessions but the comfort is lacking and the weight on the front of your face is just unacceptable. Our recommendation would be to purchase the amazing BoboVR M2 Pro with the added battery pack. If you want more information, then check it out here.
Ultimately, the choice is yours. Hopefully, this guide has helped outlined the pros and cons of your purchase, but the decision most likely comes down to how much you can afford and what you think is reasonable. Whatever you choose though, the VR experiences that await you will blow your mind. Happy shopping, gamers!
