[SPOILER] Ending, Simon and bias

[Kein]

Which jumps do you, as the player, remember? V1-v2 and v2-v3. Therefore, YOU ARE SIMON-3. Your 'real' existence begins when you are loaded into the second suit but you still have a recollection of previous events and thus you experience continuity. So: everything up until the second jump are just your memories. We play through those events because they're a part of Simon-3's subjective experience that he remembers (even though he, in this version, hasn't actually experienced them first-hand).

Interesting point, however, there are few things you've missed out and I ultimately think you found a "fleshed out mechanic" where it does not exist even if conditions fit almost perfectly.

First, Simon2 and Simon3 are somewhat equal on this field, they both remember being "transfered out": Simon2 from the Simon1 and Simon 3 from the Simon2 (through Simon1 phase). Now, the reaction Simon3 had at the end will be quite similar to the reaction Simon2 will feel when he wake up (provided you did not kill him if that if actually possible), so in a manner of speaking their "consciousness experience" is very close to equal.

That being said, this is jut a remark I felt pointing out. Real reason why mechanics (or, well, hypothesis) aren't solid in my opinion is because there was none to begin with. The swap scenes are all carefully played and placed narrative points: the first transition scene tells us that a brain scan like that can exist outside of human body, it establishes specific idea and setting, The second swap played that way so the player will have NO doubts that the scan copy/cloning DOES transfer consciousness, ie it is a complete copy of you. Aaand the third scan closes the circle by showing you the "other side" - that it is indeed a complete copy of you and your consciousness and you, as a player, experienced it from every POV possible. You're supposed to have thing complete understand because of the narrative process, not because of protagonist character development mechanics and state.