I got a PRS custom 24 in '92 (sadly, sold it later). Virtually every aspect of that guitar has changed since. I got mine for $1500. It'll cost me $4k to buy a new one.
Which is fine...except...it only does PRS sounds. Yes, for my 50th, I'm replacing my prs custom 24 out of love. It truly is a fantastic instrument.
That said, when confronted with buying a practical recording guitar a year or so ago, i got a variax for $1100 instead...which does acoustics, and all sorts of other guitar models. is it perfect? naah. It is good enough to fool most? sure.
When my variax finally craps out...i'll replace it, too, and still be ahead of the game for the price of the dozens of guitars it emulates.
The technology will change. Thankfully, a new variax probably won't cost half of what a single new PRS, Les Paul, or Strat does or will, and will do so much more.
Just try one, see if you dig it, and go from there! if you have a helix, get the special cable, and it's even cooler.