In practice this was about a product that is not targeted at desktop-savvy people. At the same time, you also have people who know "this isn't a hard problem, why do I need go through all this. let me go look for someone who did it better." Not to mention all of their younger tech savvy family telling them, "don't download anything!"

If your product targets a segment that expects a desktop app, do that. Web app, do that. Phone app, do that.

Something like this would have worked if it was still back in the Walmart bargain software shelf where people could impulse buy a CD, put it into their computer and have it automatically start and install, then show up on the desktop. Despite that being less common now, it was more streamlined in a way for many users.

Many of those people probably aren't logged into Steam or Windows Store either, so you have to do your own thing. It makes sense that web is the least friction for those people.