We’ve done absolutely nothing to “beat” reality.
Personally I’m leaning into the idea more and more that technology how we think of it, machines, will not be how we survive. I suspect some will be too useful, like nanotechnology and automated manufacturing, but consumer machines will become passé, maybe just too environmentally toxic to build at the scale we do. I doubt humans will make it “off world” for long if at all. There’s a scaling problem to the endeavor I doubt humans will maintain the momentum to overcome.
It took a very specific planet and millions of years of evolution to get here. We cannot possibly do better than reality itself.
Michael Levin’s bioelectrics, manipulation of electric fields to regrow limbs, could be an early peak at crazy future.
Why build VR if we can, for example, mix chemicals, drink it, effectively loading simulated experience like The Matrix, through fine grain manipulation of exotic properties of reality. Earth becomes a lot more sustainable if we’re not eating it up for phones and graphics cards.