You are right, but it makes a bigger difference than you suspect. My bike has a 2x10 setup right now, and I am most likely converting that to 1x10 or paying up for a 1x11 setup in the future.

Not having to choose between 1-2 on the front and then the back gears simplifies things greatly. In addition you also save some weight, it's a much simpler mechanic with less maintenance and with a newer SRAM Type2 or Shimano Shadow+ Clutch derailleur and a narrow-wide front ring you pretty much can't drop a chain, which is great. The only exception would be if you ride incredibly rough terrain where you bounce a lot, but a very simple chainguide fixes that problem.