This video of Pokémon GO players in Central Park is proof that The Matrix is coming

The park is home to plenty of wildlife, but it's the virtual kind attracting visitors

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a Pokémon GO convert too and have been late meeting friends because I’ve been busy catching my millionth Pidgey this week, but the augmented reality game is also slightly terrifying.

This is evidenced by a video shot in NYC’s Central Park yesterday, which has been transformed into a Poké playing field, teeming with people battling at a Gym and wandering around looking for new creatures.

Pokémon GO has already been downloaded on more than 5 per cent of the total number of Android phones in operation, making it more popular than Tinder.

Bar a steady stream of new gameplay features, the Pokémon Go craze will probably die down, but the geo-located, augmented reality style of gaming is here to stay.

The Pokémon Go universe is something of a utopia, a way to walk through the world but only encounter positive events and exchanges. It’s sort of like an embryonic version of the Matrix in the film of the same name, except instead of plugging into this world via headjacks, it’s wireless.

The game’s developer, Niantic, has already discussed the possibility of incorporating AR headsets like the (admittedly failed) Google Glasses into the app, which would add a new level of blur between our virtual and real worlds.