The problem with software eating the world is that it's a lot more difficult for users to patch bad design with a bit of duct tape.
Putting all the scary complicated buttons into software (the Apple approach) makes the remote *simpler* (in some ways) but not necessarily *better*, as a number of articles will explain https://qz.com/1583510/the-apple-tv-siri-remote-is-as-bad-as-it-is-innovative/