Are you thinking of buying the Quest 3, but are wondering whether 128GB is enough? Do you really need 512GB? How about the Elite Strap?
Is 128GB enough for Quest 3?
For casual VR users, 128GB is enough. Games with simpler graphics tend not to take up a lot of space. Apps such as Netflix (87.32MB) or YouTube VR (155.86MB) usually take up even less space.
But games that push the Quest 3’s graphical capabilities almost always take up several GB of storage. This includes, for example, Resident Evil 4 (8.8GB), Iron Man VR (8.99GB), Walking Dead (7.3GB), Arizona Sunshine (4.68GB), or Jurassic World (4.62GB). The highest I’ve seen so far is Medal of Honor (44GB). The exception is if the game is short, such as Vader Immortal: Episode 1 (2.66GB), which has some of the best graphics among Quest apps but is very short (under 45 minutes to finish).
Another kind of app that can take up a lot of space are apps that have downloadable content such as videos. For example, Puzzling Places is a 3D jigsaw puzzle game with downloadable 3D models and although the app itself is only 410MB, one user told me his app has taken up 30GB because of the downloaded content.
Here are some popular recent releases:
- Asgard’s Wrath 2: 32GB
- Assassin’s Creed Nexus: 16GB.
- Arizona Sunshine 2: 11.83GB.
- Vampire: the Masquerade – Justice 6.81GB.
- Ghostbusters Rise of the Ghost Lord: 6.31GB.
- Red Matter 2: 8.48GB.
Bottom line: if you tend to play console-like VR games with high end graphics, you may find the 128GB limiting.
If you already have an idea of which games you will be getting, you can check the Meta App store, which specifies the storage space required for each game (except unreleased games). Please note that the storage requirements shown on the app store may be lower than the actual amount of space required by an app. For example, Walking Dead is listed as 6.8GB but when I installed it, it took up 7.3GB, possibly due to additional content.
Can you erase and reinstall games and apps?
Yes you definitely can erase and reinstall games and apps, which could help make 128GB more usable. As for saving your progress, some games support saving in the cloud, which enables you to keep your progress even if you uninstall the app. But if a game doesn’t support cloud saving, your saved progress will be lost.
Long-term update: is 128GB enough (updated 12/15/23)?
I’ve had my 512GB Quest since launch and I’ve installed all the apps I care to install (including Asgard’s Wrath 2). I have about 294GB left. This is more space than I expected, in part because I do use PCVR frequently. Nonetheless, this means that if I gotten the 128GB version, I wouldn’t have enough storage to install everything I want to and would have to forgo some apps.
Should you buy the Elite Strap?
If you buy the Quest 3 with 512GB and the Elite Strap with Battery, you’re suddenly looking at a purchase of $780 plus taxes, which might be a lot more than you had anticipated to spend for the Quest 3. Take a deep breath.
The Elite Strap with Battery is very useful but not for the reasons you might think. Sure, the strap design helps cradle the base of your skull and help prevent the Quest 3 from sliding down your face. But that’s not the most important reason to get it. Nor is it because of the battery per se (although the extra battery life would be a definite plus). It’s because the Quest 3 is heavier than it looks. After about 15 minutes, you’ll start to feel it is front-heavy. The usual reaction for most people is to compensate by tightening the headstrap. This temporarily alleviates the feeling that it is front-heavy but because the Quest will be pressing harder on your face, it will start cutting off circulation to your face and I found my face starting to hurt after about 30-45 minutes.
But isn’t the Quest 3 lighter than the Quest 2? Quest 3 is 40% slimmer than the Quest 2 but the weight is actually almost the same. It’s great that the weight is closer to your face, so it should feel less front-heavy but I think it will still start straining your neck or face after a while.
The best solution I’ve found is to hang a counterweight on the rear of the strap. Although the total weight of the headset will increase, the counterweight will relieve the feeling of the Quest being front-heavy and you won’t have to tighten the strap as much. You can use a variety of objects as a DIY counterweight but if your counterweight is not well attached to the strap, you’ll find that it will start to shift especially if you play games that require a lot of head movement such as Beat Saber. You’ll then have to readjust frequently, which takes away from the immersion.
The most convenient counterweight is a strap with a battery pack, such as the Elite Strap with Battery. But fortunately that is NOT the only option. There are several third-party head straps with battery packs, and most of them cost a lot less than Meta’s Elite Strap with Battery. The one I use is the BoboVR M3 Pro – update: reviewed here. (check here for price and availability).
Where to buy?
You can buy the Quest 3 from other stores not just Meta.
- Amazon: good return policy with 1 day Amazon Prime delivery. Another perk is that if you apply for an Amazon credit card, you can get $100 off your order. Check availability here: 128GB or 512GB.
- Best Buy: has store pickup available on the day of the release, or you can have it shipped free but it will take longer. But the return policy is strict (must be unopened).
- Gamestop: shipping only if ordered online. Check local stores if they will have on launch day. Strict return policy (must be unopened).
Regardless of which store you buy from, the Quest 3 will include Asgard’s Wrath 2 (worth $59.99), and the 512GB version will also include a 6-month subscription to Meta Quest+ (worth $7.99 per month or around $47.94), which entitles you to two games per month, chosen by Meta (although if you already have the games in your library, you don’t get any bonus). The games remain in your library only so long as you are subscribed to Meta Quest+. If you stop the subscription, the games disappear. If you resubscribe, the games will reappear.
Which version are you getting? Let me know in the comments! Meanwhile, if you are wondering how many Quest 3 games will support mixed reality, see this post.
I’m annoyed that they didn’t produce a 256gb option, leaving us with only the small option or the excessively large option with a huge markup – there’s no way it cost them that much more for the 512gb option. They’re just greedy.
If there was a 256g option at launch I’d buy it without hesitation, but not for these size options. Also.. there should be the option to buy it with the elite strap included instead. The default strap for quest 2 was terrible compared to the elite strap. By not giving us the option to skip that strap they might as well be shipping those straps directly to a landfill when we replace them, which is wasteful.
Uhuh I think the issue is that they could only have two models: an affordable one and a more expensive one. If the 256GB was the more affordable one, then very few would buy the more expensive one. If 256GB is the more expensive one then it is not enough for many people. So I just pretend that the 512GB is the 256Gb option with extra memory. 🙂