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> real hardware is usually still available and not too expensive

I all depends. There's a "retro" bubble currently and people ask silly money for the original hardware. Then capacitors burst, original hardware needs maintenance, and is not something everybody can do.

The MISTer provides an experience that gets very close to the original hardware, without all those nuances.

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Oh they ASK silly money sure, but do they get it? I only keep track of the Commodore part of the retro world, and from what I've seen, most machines are still cheaper than they were at launch, not only in inflation adjusted terms but in absolute terms too. Even machines which are bought for restoration and resold (with fresh capacitors and QoL modifications like modernized video output) are very reasonably priced. I think the underlying reason for those low prices is that software emulation really is the better option for most people.

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