If the old native apps were the gold standard, modern distribution wasn't part of that. If we include modern distribution, then all the supposed advantages you cite for browsers "winning" apply just as well to native apps. And yet.

> Stores don't change what a native application can or cannot do.

and yet all those stores provide licensing control (and DRM), analytics, and subscription mechanics, often unavoidably (Apple) or unavoidably in practice (Google and until very recently, Steam).