Only somewhat related to the article, but It's amazing to me how much audio + animation adds to the user experience for games, and even some apps.

Not a checkmark at all, but the way games like Smash Bros Ultimate makes pressing around menus sound totally exciting and satisfying. The sound, the lightning/sparks, and how it all rumbles slightly on press. Yes I know Smash has some UX issues, but overall the craftsmanship for simple things is amazing.

Someone had to design and prototype that, similar to the author of this article. I'm not sure this particular example is great tbh, but I am sure there's a lot of "pointless" exploration needs to happen before landing on something great.