More space to explore
Oculus Quest 2 256GB
Pros
- Lots of room for games
- More affordable than the competition
Cons
- 30% more expensive
- No microSD slot for expandable storage
The Oculus Quest 2 with 256GB of storage gives you enough room for 20-50 Oculus Quest games before running out of space. There's enough space where you can download a movie for offline viewing, but don't go crazy with that since there's no microSD card slot. Beyond that, this version has no exclusive features that the 64GB lacks.
Best for PC gamers
Oculus Quest 2 64GB
Pros
- Cheaper
- Supports all the same features and games as 256GB model
Cons
- Not enough storage for many newer games
- Deleting games deletes save data
- No microSD slot for expandable storage
The 64GB variant of the Oculus Quest 2 supports all the same features and games as the larger storage version. Since many newer Quest games take up 8GB or more, this version is likely best for gamers who want to play PC VR games instead of Quest-native titles.
Oculus Quest 2 64GB vs. Oculus Quest 2 256GB: Pricing and availability
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.
But the $399 Oculus Quest 2 with 256GB storage is a better fit for most users because of the increasing size of many new Quest games. Quest games used to average around 1-2GB in size but now hover around the 8-12GB range for many titles.
There's no doubting the attractiveness of the 64GB Quest 2 model's price, especially since the price of the best Oculus Quest 2 accessories can add up quickly. But the fact that you can't expand the storage of the Quest 2 means there's no way to solve a low storage problem without deleting content. That can be particularly problematic if a game doesn't support cloud saves, as deleting games from a Quest 2 also deletes save data in most cases.
On the other hand, less internal storage isn't a problem for gamers who primarily want to play SteamVR on Oculus Quest 2 since those games will be stored on their PC. The 64GB Oculus Quest 2 is also a particularly excellent option for PC gamers since it's $100 cheaper. Let's go over all the pros and cons and see which might be best for you: Oculus Quest 2 64GB vs. Oculus Quest 2 256GB.
Lastly, the 64GB Oculus Quest 2 has been notoriously difficult to attain recently. This has led some to speculate about Facebook discontinuing the SKU, but we've seen no evidence to suggest this might be true. More than likely, the component shortage plaguing the electronics industry is also affecting Quest 2 production. Since the Quest 2 64GB is $100 less than the 256GB model, that's the one that many people are choosing.
Oculus Quest 2 64GB vs. Oculus Quest 2 256GB: What's the difference?
The 64GB and 256GB Quest 2 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.
| Category | Oculus Quest 2 64GB | Oculus Quest 2 256GB |
|---|---|---|
| Hand controls | Two Touch Controllers | Two Touch Controllers |
| Storage | 64GB | 256GB |
| 6 degrees of freedom | Yes | Yes |
| Oculus Guardian tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Oculus Link support | Yes | Yes |
| microSD slot | No | No |
| USB-C storage support | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi 6 | Yes | Yes |
| Price | $299 | $399 |
The 64GB model is closer to 50GB once you subtract pre-installed software, leaving room for only a few games.
Each headset should perform identically in virtually any scenario. The only exception would be filling your 64GB model to above 99% capacity; as with any drive, there can be a dip in performance if you have no space left over. This once happened to me while playing Jurassic World Aftermath and my save file got corrupted because it didn't have enough space to write the entire save. That's when I realized the 64GB version of the Oculus Quest 2 really isn't enough for playing many newer games.
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 those (freeing up 758.8MB) once you're done. In practice, you get a little over 50GB of actual storage with the 64GB Quest 2, while the 256GB Quest 2 has a whopping 245GB left for games storage.
Oculus Quest 2 64GB 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.
Many Oculus Quest games only take up 1-2GB of space, but recent games have significantly bumped that size up to 8-12GB.
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.
When taking many of these newer, larger games into account, many players will likely begin to run out of room after installing fewer than 10 Quest games on the 64GB Quest 2 before running out of space. If that space runs low, you can always delete older games to make room for newer ones, then redownload them later if you want to pick it up again, but there is one big caveat to consider: game save files also get deleted.
64GB owners can uninstall games to make room, but this will likely cause you to lose your in-game progress permanently.
Keep in mind that there is a significant downside to deleting games to make room for new ones. Oculus doesn't partition save 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. 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 64GB Quest 2 will fill up extremely quickly, while the 256GB Quest 2 will take quite a bit longer to run out of space.
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 64GB vs. Oculus Quest 2 256GB: 64GB is best for PC gamers
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. In fact, anyone who buys the 64GB Quest 2 could deal with limited storage by buying the PC version of games and keeping them housed on your computer's SSD instead.
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 64GB vs. Oculus Quest 2 256GB: 256GB is the best choice for everyone else
We appreciate that Facebook upped the storage maximum for the Oculus Quest 2 compared to the original Oculus Quest, which maxed out at 128GB. Spending $100 for an extra 192GB of storage is a genuinely good deal and one worth considering since some enhanced Quest 2 games can fill up the 64GB model fairly quickly.
But if you're looking to save some money — or plan on using the Quest 2 primarily as a PC VR headset — the 64GB model is an incredible deal that will deliver an excellent experience all-around. My personal Quest 2 is only 64GB and, while I do have to uninstall games from time to time, it still gets me by just fine without too much fuss. It's worth noting that the cost of lots of Quest 2 games can add up quickly, and purchasing enough to fill hundreds of gigabytes will probably cost you as much as the headset.
So long as you're willing to uninstall games when you're running out of room, the 64GB Oculus Quest 2 is the better bargain. In our Oculus Quest 2 review, we praised it for its amazing performance at such a low price. But there's no denying that many of the newer games that have come out since the Quest 2 launched are considerably larger than ever before. So if you're picking up the Quest 2 to play a lot of games, you're definitely going to want to spend the extra $100 on the 256GB model to ensure you don't have to delete games and potentially lost saves to make room for new ones.
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.
Casual or PC gamers only
Oculus Quest 2 64GB
$299 at Amazon $299 at Best Buy $299 at Oculus
A budget-friendly option
The 64GB version of the Oculus Quest 2 supports all the same features and games as the larger version. Still, the lower storage space means you'll run out of room after installing only a few games, so it's best if you're using it primarily as a PC VR headset or plan on only playing every so often.
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