I agree with the fact that most of the world-building details and character details that are created as notes by the author don't need to be included in the story. Most of that background information is written by the author as a means of consistency and creating a multilayered world and realistic, full characters.
There are plenty of books out there that are written with the ideology that if it is part of world-building or character creation, it has to be written in the text somewhere as a detailed description. This tends to take away from the focus of the actual story. Like if pages are spent describing the complex socio-economic system and how it developed over the past hundred years before the start of the book, or if too much attention is focused on the fact that they use oil from sheep wool for their oil lamps, or if a character's entire history is revealed all at once. While those details can be interesting, they are a part of world-building that doesn't necessarily add sensory immersion or progression to the characters or story.
I can see some authors using avid descriptions of the landscape as a way to "hold space" for a group of travelers. Like, other than describing each individual step and the constant thoughts and feelings of the characters, how else do you convey the journey is long in a way that captivates the reader and senses? Long descriptions of landscapes can serve that purpose and give the body of text more substance than just constantly being inside the head of whichever character's POV that portion of the story is focused on.
In reading the comparison of written description to video game worlds, I sort of find that ironic in a way. A lot of the same concepts for world-building in fantasy and sci-fi books are implemented for the creation of video game worlds, characters, and storylines too. Writing is a core part of video game creation. The difference is, in a book, you don't have the visual component, which is where avid description comes in.
There was a time when writing and reading were the most immersive forms of entertainment media, and I personally feel like video games, movies, and television shows have impacted the literature world negatively. People are so used to having constant visual stimulation with lots of action, that reading a book with long descriptions becomes tedious and boring. Don't get me wrong, I still love watching movies, shows, and playing video games.