> if you can't buy the hardware to enjoy it

In fairness, that's a recent problem and not the fault of the game companies.

> if the games take a decade to come out

And this is only an issue if the game's release has been teased for 8 of those 10 years.

The last time I felt the "wow, we're in the future" feeling was the stereoscopic (VR) viewing of 360-degree Youtube videos via Phone + headset (eg. Google cardboard), like skydiving and wingsuit flying videos. I reckon that's going back maybe 10 years. But I'm not a gamer (any more) so I can't comment on modern gaming experience - although Cyberpunk 2077 and GTA6 look exciting to me - entirely based on their marketing videos (aware that it's specifically the best examples that are chosen).

I had a conversation with a friend of mine recently about, what more can we do? Is there a VR version of GTA6? Do we yet have full haptic feedback suits and gyro rigs that we can run and fly and drive and shoot in? How far away are we from that next level of immersion? (looking at the price of 32Gb of RAM, a long fucking way).

Following that last train of though, what is AI costing us in terms of the progress of other technologies? Will it eventually bring the other things faster?

As a middle-aged parent, I don't game any more, but I keep my finger very loosely on the pulse. I'm slow acquiring a library of only the highest rated / quality games, purchased at old/heavily-discounted prices, to play in my retirement when I may have the time to spare and my physicality prevents me from participating in more healthy, active pursuits. I'm looking forward to it, but also will be fine if that future never arrives due to staying fit and healthy until the lights eventually go out.

The future is, and always was, analogue. Until the actual future arrives where we can upload our minds (into Microsoft's or Google's cloud, no thanks! I'll host my own). Only then will the future be digital / electronic.