https://www.ign.com/articles/cyberpunk-2077-environment-designer-explains-how-his-team-built-night-city
Of course a lot of people can hardly wait until there are full Immersion_(virtual_reality) games... Especially with a 1 or 2 hour setting in which the experiencer actually thinks that they are in that particular game world.
https://www.ign.com/articles/cyberpunk-2077-hands-on-preview-what-we-think-after-4-hours-in-night-city
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulacron-3#Plot_summary 1963/1964
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SimCity#Gameplay
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_Simulator , https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/nec-build-japans-next-earth-simulator-supercomputer
There are some potential risks, so it still could be a while until such advanced VR systems are available to the public. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immersion_(virtual_reality)#Detrimental_effects
In the early 1990s, the band U2 helped to promote the ZOO+TV entertainment MATRIX.
Harsh_Realm (1999) looked like it could have been quite a wild simulation experience. https://www.wired.com/1999/05/x-files-creator-goes-virtual Sort of like a military version of SimCity. http://tactdb.blogspot.com/2014/04/harsh-realm-combat-virtual-reality-tv.html A VR war game immersion system sure wouldn't be set up for beginners. http://www.scififreaksite.com/harshrealm.html A full immersion VR effect could be achieved with something like a small version of a Cerebro type device. https://them0vieblog.com/2015/10/14/harsh-realm-review Although extreme caution would be advised, some people would still be pushing things to the limit. http://www.the13thfloor.tv/2016/08/31/the-elevator-ritual-a-terrifying-vr-horror-experience There are all sorts of potential problems and liabilities when things start to get too realistic. https://www.vrfocus.com/2017/10/do-you-dare-enter-the-13th-floor-in-fantas-new-vr-experience
The_Thirteenth_Floor and Source_Code movies depict a level of VR tech where ones consciousness can be transferred into another body. Of course this tech would be at a level that's far beyond any digital sandbox_game even, No_Man's_Sky. (NMS) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Man's_Sky#Future
Sandbox_game-History & Life_simulation_games
The technology to transfer consciousness into something like a very advanced version of The_Sims & other Avatars, is still a Sci-Fi concept. In The_Matrix world, ones consciousness is only linked to a VR character. However, it is implied that if a sudden disconnect with The_Matrix occurs, there would be dire consequences.
Of course back in the early days when people were first exposed to the SimCity game, the tech and the graphics were quite limited. Yet, something very interesting was started. All you needed was a personal_computer to experience this new digital or Virtual_World. However, any kind of full immersion or consciousness transfer was just Sci-Fi entertainment.
Virtual_World-Entertainment
There was quite a big jump from the SimCity_(1989_video_game) to The_Matrix movie in 1999. The brilliant creators of The_Matrix_(franchise) wanted to depict a warning about, Out_of_Control A.I. run scenarios, where humans are mentally trapped in a simulated environment with various levels and versions. A small group of people try to break others out of the A.I. run simulation and only one human city remains in the "Real_World."
The_Thirteenth_Floor (1999) provided another fascinating version of a VR program with people being in something like a very advanced form of SimCity.
Of course something else interesting happened in the late 1990s. No_Maps_for_These_Territories#Background_and_premise
"It features appearances by Jack Womack, Bruce Sterling, Bono, and The Edge..."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Maps_for_These_Territories
So during the 1980s and 90s, Bono and the Edge had obviously become very interested with the writings of William_Gibson_and_the_evolution_of_cyberpunk.
Thus, the unofficial U2 entertainment MATRIX era started. Achtung_Baby,_Zoo_TV,_and_Zooropa_(1990-1993)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Bono_as_The_Fly_Cleveland_1992.jpgIndeed by the early 1990s, Bono was doing his version of Neo in the SimCity MATRIX Thing. By 1992, the Even_Better_Than_the_Real_Thing-Music_video was ready.
In a way, the Zoo_TV_Tour was preparing people for the first Matrix movie. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hH8bnSQ8mR0 , https://www.u2.com/music/lyrics/42
Although it would have been cool for
The_Matrix to have been filmed in
Melbourne, Sydney was the better choice, overall.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/Bono_performing_on_Zoo_TV_Tour_in_Melbourne_Nov_13_1993_3.jpg