Fundamental purchase
With the identical quantity of storage as the bottom Quest 2, the $499 Meta Quest 3 ought to suit your present VR library if you improve. It’s possible you’ll must uninstall video games if you run out of house, however since Meta helps cloud saves, you will not lose your progress. It has no different downgrades in comparison with the 512GB headset.
For
- Extra inexpensive
- No different spec downgrades in comparison with 512GB
- Sufficient house for dozens of video games
In opposition to
- Identical storage dimension as Quest 2
- Quest 3 video games will get bigger over time
Future-proof alternative
Get quadruple the Quest 3 storage, or twice what the most important Quest 2 supplied. Recreation sizes are getting bigger over time, and since Quest headsets do not have expandable storage, that is the best choice to keep away from consistently deleting or reinstalling video games for a $150 surcharge. You additionally get 12 free video games through Meta Quest Plus!
For
- Quadruple the storage
- Future-proofs the headset for bigger titles
- Comes with 6 months of Meta Quest Plus
In opposition to
- Makes a dear headset even costlier
- No {hardware} variations in addition to storage
The Meta Quest 3 128GB mannequin prices far more than its Quest 2 predecessor in change for considerably upgraded specs. On high of that value improve, do you have to spend one other $150 to get the Quest 3 512GB, provided that it has no different upgrades in addition to storage?
For context, the Oculus Quest 2 defaulted to 64GB with a $100 improve to 256GB earlier than Meta raised the bottom storage to 128GB in response to climbing sport sizes. With this era, 512GB might sound extreme to all however essentially the most hardcore VR avid gamers, but it surely’s truthful to wonder if the Quest 3 128GB possibility will really feel too small in a 12 months or two.
We’re huge followers of what the Meta Quest 3 brings to the desk and suggest that VR followers purchase it. If you happen to’re leaning in the direction of grabbing one however cannot select a storage dimension, we’ll evaluate your Meta Quest 3 128GB vs. 512GB choices that can assist you resolve.
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There isn’t a {hardware} distinction between the Quest 3 128GB and 512GB, other than cupboard space. We heard rumors previous to launch that Meta would promote a higher-end Quest 3 with additional storage and 12GB of RAM, however this turned out to be incorrect. Both storage dimension provides the identical 8GB of reminiscence, pancake lenses, high-res LCD, two hours of battery life, and sport library.
By way of precise cupboard space, you do not get the quantity listed on both field as a result of preinstalled working system information. Within the storage settings, the Quest 3 512GB lists 481GB as the utmost storage dimension. Oddly, the 128GB mannequin nonetheless lists 128GB because the max, but it surely exhibits about 20GB of System information within the Storage graph. In reality, you might have simply over 100GB of house.
In any other case, the one key Quest 3 128GB vs. 512GB distinction is what free perks you get if you purchase one. With any Quest 3 buy, you get a free copy of Asgard’s Wrath 2, Meta’s AAA open-world journey starring Loki, due out in December. Solely Quest 3 512GB consumers get six free months of Meta Quest Plus, a $7.99 month-to-month subscription providing two downloadable video games per 30 days, chosen by Meta.
If you happen to wished Meta Quest Plus anyway, this promotion saves you $48 and offers you twelve video games to get pleasure from in your first half-year with the headset; up to now, Quest Plus video games have been widespread and well-reviewed titles like Pistol Whip, Walkabout Mini Golf, Onward, and Pink Matter.
Whereas this can be a good perk, we will not assure that you simply will not already personal some curated titles. You will not get entry to previous free titles, solely present and future ones. Plus, in the event you finish your subscription, you may lose entry to any titles you have claimed till you re-subscribe. In our opinion, you should not put an excessive amount of inventory on this launch promotion and focus solely on whether or not or not you want 512GB of storage.
Do you want greater than 100GB of cupboard space? That is the query on the coronary heart of your Quest 3 128GB vs. 512GB resolution. And to reply that query, we have to decide how a lot house Quest 3 video games truly take.
Trying on the 50 latest Quest Retailer video games between Might and October 2023, they add as much as about 107GB in whole, or 2.14GB per sport, based on the “Area Required” subject on every retailer web page.
Subsequent, we added up the 40 top-selling Quest Retailer video games as of October 2023: they totaled 144GB or 3.6GB per sport.
Lastly, AC editor Nick Sutrich, who reviewed the Meta Quest 3, shared the picture beneath of his present storage. He knowledgeable me that he has 45 video games put in, which take up 122GB of house — averaging just below 3GB per sport, with the highest seven video games taking over almost 60GB on their very own.
If he owned the 128GB Quest 3, he’d have wanted to delete a number of video games from his library, and he could not purchase any extra upcoming Quest 3 titles with out blowing up his present record.
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There are a number of key classes to be taught from this knowledge.
First, most Quest 3 video games are small, even the newest ones. Their sizes will bloat barely over time — particularly with video games like Beat Saber with a lot of DLC — however you may usually match a number of dozen video games on the 128GB Quest 3 earlier than it’s a must to begin worrying about culling your record.
Second, the most well-liked Quest 3 video games are typically larger, corresponding to raised graphics, audio, and mechanics. For each Roblox (0.2GB) or Gorilla Tag (0.75GB), there is a Contractors (9.6GB), Pink Matter 2 (8.5GB), or Iron Man (9GB).
And third, the video games’ precise cupboard space is bigger than what the Quest Retailer lists. For instance, retailer pages state that The seventh Visitor and Espire 2 each take up about 12.3GB, however they each present 13.3GB on Nick’s storage web page. We will assume this hole stems from post-launch updates and Quest 3 enhancements.
Taken all collectively, these classes train us that you simply can make do with the 128GB Quest 3 and have loads of video games saved, however that only a few high-quality video games will take up an enormous portion of storage. If you happen to run out of house, it is these video games that you will most likely find yourself deleting moderately than eradicating a bunch of video games that solely declare 1–2GB on their very own.
If you happen to’re annoyed on the very thought of managing which video games you purchase or obtain primarily based on storage, otherwise you already personal a big Quest 2 library, then perhaps the 512GB Quest 3 is the choice for you.
As somebody who used the previous 64GB Quest 2 and needed to discover house for dozens of video games whereas reviewing them, let me guarantee you that you simply can make do with the Quest 3 128GB mannequin.
Meta did not even add cloud saves till late 2021, so selecting which video games to delete was a a lot tougher resolution when it meant dropping all of your progress. Now, it is merely a matter of ready a couple of minutes to redownload one thing; I am hoping that for the reason that Quest 3 helps Wi-Fi 6E downloads, you will not have as lengthy to attend, both.
We will assume that some future video games like Asgard’s Wrath 2 and Murderer’s Creed VR Nexus will take up a wholesome chunk of cupboard space. However I doubt many video games will hit the identical 45GB threshold as Medal of Honor did — a sport that could not match on 64GB Quest 2 headsets. Meta has a vested curiosity in guaranteeing that each one Quest 3 house owners can purchase the most well-liked titles, so it ought to encourage devs to maintain storage sizes small.
If you happen to’re a brand new or lapsed VR gamer with out a main Quest library or somebody who cannot afford to purchase dozens of AAA Quest 3 releases within the first place, then you definately’re most likely tremendous with the smaller storage possibility. Even in the event you’re an lively VR gamer, you may most likely be tremendous in the event you do not thoughts deleting video games as soon as you have 100%-completed them, as I usually do.
By saving this cash, you may put it as a substitute in the direction of shopping for Quest 3 equipment just like the $130 Elite Strap with Battery, which is arguably extra very important for the general expertise than additional storage.
Though most 2023 Quest video games have been about 2–3GB on common, which may very effectively change with the Quest 3. Now that it has extra highly effective graphics, we’ll see builders making the most of the additional capability with extra belongings and textures, which in flip will make the finest Quest 3 video games take up extra space.
Let’s assume that the typical Quest 3 sport dimension finally ends up nearer to 5GB. Which means you may most likely match about 20 video games on the 128GB headset or perhaps 30 video games if you have already got a library of smaller Quest 2 video games. That is greater than sufficient for some avid gamers, however my colleague Nick — who dives into VR worlds each day — would inform me that it undoubtedly is not sufficient for him.
Plus, some people use sideloading to put in customized apps for modding their favourite video games or large film information for VR film nights. If you happen to’re a tinkerer who desires respiration room for that type of factor, then the 512GB Quest 3 provides you the house you want.
If you need your Quest 3 to final till Quest 4 arrives, it is sensible to future-proof it for bigger future titles and new sport tendencies that we will not predict. In that case, you might need to spend additional for the bigger storage possibility.
Fundamental purchase
Select the 128GB Quest 3 in the event you’re a brand new or rare VR gamer nonetheless build up your Quest library and in the event you’re prepared to delete previous video games to make room for brand spanking new ones. Do not select this storage possibility if you have already got a big Quest 2 library and do not need to compromise.
Future-proof alternative
Select the 512GB Quest 3 in the event you beforehand owned the 256GB Quest 2 and are accustomed to this stage of storage or in the event you plan to purchase a number of AAA Quest titles. Do not select it in the event you’re on a finances or do not have plans to purchase quite a lot of new Quest titles per 12 months.
