> Discord for example is literally just a chrome-less Chrome; the zoom in/out hotkeys in Chrome still work in it.

No, it also includes:

* Voice (and text chat) overlay for games (DLL)

* Game integration via lobby & rich presence APIs

* Krisp noise cancellation (requires a DLL as well)

* (Better) screenshare (Chrome has an API for window sharing now but Discord's is a bit more robust with several backends in case one fails)

* System-wide keybinds

* Scripting support via gaming accessory apps (Logitech G HUB, HyperX, etc.)

It also (anecdotally) works faster than the web client, in my experience.

Just because the zoom controls work (which is an accessibility feature) doesn't mean it's a barebones Chrome wrapper.