I think the grayscale camera literally, physically, is better at collecting light. Like, the hardware is more capable when it comes to tracking.
Maybe negligibly so, but an amount.
I'm not saying that it was the right call to use them, I just didn't think it's as bad as everyone seems to want it to be.
Maybe valve will defend their decision more in the future? Maybe the black and white cams, in addition to being better for low light tracking, were also cheaper in bulk?
Cost adds up. I'm also in the boat of not wanting the charger to be included, because I and many others, will never use it.
As for the addon cameras being better, it's not dumb. They literally connect with a special high bandwidth connector, and they are something like twice the resolution.
Just like I wouldn't want the charger included that I wouldn't use, many others wouldn't appreciate the extra $150 to have the high res cameras be default either.
It's mostly a difference of opinion and preference.