I think your point has merit.
The fact that us…not that young anymore…flightsimmers did in fact experience single digit framerates, wireframe graphics and 30min loading times, did prepare us to make do and enjoy what we got instead of complaining about it.
I mean, there are downsides to VR. No doubt about that! You need serious hardware and still have to lower the graphics settings, do some tinkering and realize that checking six is much easier with a TrackIR. Not to mention resolution and screen door effect, even if that’s already a thing of the past, with the latest headsets.
And, flightsimming on a 2D screen, with TrackIR, is still a really great option for most people. But like you, I feel that VR is so incredibly immersive that I could only go back to 2D if it was handled by six projectors onto a dome screen…and I can’t fit that in my house.
Now, younger users are more accustomed to high FPS and better graphics. They are forced to lower their expectations below their entrypoint, perhaps. Old farts still think the graphics look awesome, compared to Falcon 3, if you know what I mean.
So, perhaps experience, which comes with age, is the key here…