Quest 2 file sizes are increasing because of newly upgraded Quest 3 versions as developers tell UploadVR there's currently no "convenient" method to offer separate builds.
Last month at Connect 2023, Meta confirmed over 50 Quest 2 titles are getting Quest 3 upgrades, which includes Red Matter 2 and Guardians Frontline. With upgrades like 4K textures and increased detail, enhanced Quest 3 games are seeing increased file sizes. However, several developers confirm these file size increases also apply to the Quest 2 edition.
Vertical Robot and Guy Godin (Virtual Desktop) both claim there's currently no option to offer separate Android Package Kits (APKs) for different Quest headsets. Godin writes this means Quest 2 games will get larger file sizes without the improvements.
Myron Games CEO Tommy Maloteaux (Deisim) says you can offer packages separately, but explains this method "is not a convenient one." Maloteaux says this currently involves uploading two builds "with a small difference in the manifest but you must do it in the right order or both devices get the latest one."
As for the games, Red Matter 2 is jumping from 5.6GB to 9.1GB size and Espire 2 goes from 7GB to 12GB but this doesn't mean every game will receive a major increase. Speaking to UploadVR, Psytec Games CEO Jon Hibbins confirmed Windlands 2 is 0.72MB larger on Quest 3, explaining they'd already included high-quality asset pipelines. Hibbins also cites new code and minor asset improvements as factors.
In January, Meta announced developers will have the option to add separate binaries between different Quest headsets, but this hasn't been fully implemented yet. Responding to a request for comment, Meta wrote over email to UploadVR that "the ability to create separate apks for Quest 1 vs. Quest 2 exists today, and is in use by many developers. We plan to extend this to Quest Pro and Quest 3 in the future."
No specific timeframe for this update was provided.
