No reason we can’t simultaneously do both to meet the needs of the various peoples.

Here’s my variant of the quote:

Many of the most talented engineers of our time don’t do anything important — instead, they work on making our entertainment more immersive.

They work on better 3D renderers, more appealing shaders, faster VR hardware, better spatial sound, more powerful game engines, more immersive games, more colorful phone screens, more eye-catching app animations, etc.

The point he’s failing to understand is that all of these “useless” innovations are a part of what is pushing the edge of technological innovation. Sure, while the direct goal of each one is often entertainment, indirectly they all push the limits of a technology.

• 3D renders - I would venture to saw that there are a lot of parallels between rendering and scientific computer simulations. Especially light simulations.
• VR hardware - Ultra low latency innovations for displays, motion tracking, and wireless communications, to name a few things. All in one headsets are pushing miniaturization too.
• Game engines - This one made me laugh. Game engines affect more than just games. They push physics engines, rendering, scripting languages, 3D modeling, etc. so forward.
• Phone screens - Another knee slapper. Phones have arguably been the leading technology in the miniaturization of technology. Those better screens have influenced every device with a screen smaller than a TV.