It's 2026, and the hoverboards promised in classic sci-fi remain firmly in the realm of fiction. Instead, we've got electric scooters that occasionally catch fire and a reality that sometimes feels a little too close to the gritty, neon-soaked streets of Night City. While Cyberpunk 2077 paints a famously grim picture of a corporate-dominated future, it's also packed with technological wonders that, dystopian origins aside, look incredibly useful. Forget saving the world; what if we could just borrow a gadget or two to make our daily commutes, work, and even dating lives a bit more... efficient? When players were polled on what single item from the game they'd want to materialize in our timeline, the answers revealed a beautiful mix of profound altruism, pure chaos, and a desperate need for better automotive insurance.
Let's start with the hero we didn't know we needed: V's car insurance. In a world where a minor fender bender can bankrupt you, the ability to have your totaled, possibly exploded, vehicle replaced for a mere 45 to 100 eddies (let's call it dollars for sanity's sake) is nothing short of revolutionary. One player famously called it "preem af," and they aren't wrong. Imagine the freedom! The reckless joy! The sudden spike in traffic incidents that would inevitably follow. It's a cornerstone of a truly stress-free existence in a chaotic world.
Of course, not all desires were so... vehicular. The Sandevistan implant, which slows time to a crawl for the user, was a wildly popular pick. Think of the productivity gains! The deadlines met! The never-missed trains! Although, one must consider the potential downside: your perception of reality permanently out of sync with everyone else's, making casual conversation an exercise in extreme patience. Other popular cyberware picks included:
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Kiroshi Optics: For giving sight to the blind—a genuinely selfless and world-changing choice.
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Mantis Blades & Gorilla Arms: For... opening stubborn jars and reaching high shelves. Definitely. No other reasons.
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A Cyberdeck: The dream of every tech worker. One programmer mused that just being able to launch scripts at the physical world would be "SO useful," potentially accelerating innovation by negating tedious coding hours. Another, however, foresaw a darker application: using it to beam 3D models of a certain lasagna-loving cat directly into strangers' cerebellums. The duality of man, truly.
Then there were the answers driven by matters of the heart (or other organs). A significant contingent of respondents bypassed gadgets entirely, wishing instead for the company of certain Night City residents. Names like Panam, Judy, Kerry Eurodyne, and Songbird were dropped with a frequency that suggests the dating apps of 2026 still leave much to be desired. Who needs a time-slowing implant when you can have a complicated, emotionally charged romance with a well-written fictional character?
On a more serious and globally pertinent note, several players pointed to CHOOH2, the game's synthetic, cleaner-burning fuel alternative. Given the ongoing environmental crises, a viable, scalable alternative to fossil fuels isn't just a cool toy; it's a potential lifeline for the planet. The fact that this emerged as a wishlist item speaks volumes about the priorities bleeding from our world into the game's fiction.
And let's not forget the ultimate escapist fantasy: Braindances. The ability to fully record and relive another person's sensory experiences—from climbing a mountain to performing a concert—would redefine entertainment, therapy, and empathy. The ethical nightmares it presents are colossal, but the allure of pure, experiential tourism is undeniable.
In the end, the survey revealed something fascinating: while the world of Cyberpunk 2077 is a warning, the tools within it represent very human desires. We want safety (that insurance), connection (those romance options), capability (the implants), solutions (CHOOH2), and new experiences (Braindances). The tech is flashy, but the wishes are profoundly, hilariously, and touchingly human. Now, if only someone would get to work on that insurance policy first.