The materials that go into a chip are nothing. The process of making the chip is roughly the same no matter the power of it. So having one chip that can satisfy a large range of customers needs is so much better than wasting development time making a custom just good enough chip for each.

It’s the opposite. Using an off the shelf MCU is much more efficient than trying to spin your own ASIC.

Doing the work in software allows for updates and bug fixes, which are more likely to prevent piles of hardware from going into the landfill (in some cases before they even reach customers’ hands).

Nobody cares, unless they’re commenting for an easy win on internet message boards.