The fact that I'm disproportionally excited about this probably dates me as an early 2000s web developer. But since selects can do things that you simply cannot recreate in HTML, e.g. have options drop downs that extend outside the viewport boundaries, makes this a really helpful feature.
Now, do autocompletes and tag selectors next...
I doubt it'll still be able to do those things. From the article:
>Using base-select loses a number of features and behaviors:
> The <select> doesn't render outside the browser pane.
> It doesn't trigger built-in mobile operating system components.
I have mixed feelings about it. Mobile users, get ready for poorly optimized select elements. On the other hand it reduces the need for javascript for styling forms, which is good
> The <select> doesn't render outside the browser pane. ... It doesn't trigger built-in mobile operating system components.
To me, this is intrinsically what makes a <select> a <select>. Styling is great, but without these features, this doesn't really bring anything new to the table