For me emulation is just a convenience thing.

I like to game on the go with a steam deck (720p60), and I don't want to carry around two handhelds

I've got the choice between one with pretty much every game I've ever bought, a nicer controller and more features, or one that has 2 games and doesn't even support Bluetooth headphones iirc, nor will it connect to any usb c dock that wasn't specifically designed for it

Resolution and performance is only one reason people want emulation