I think it might make a slightly richer flavor when it’s browned, but I don’t think it matters much. I only bother to brown when I am cooking in the same pan. In most crockpots you can’t brown so it is another pan to clean.
I make short ribs on the stove. So, I salt and pepper and brown them, remove from pan, and then cook onions and tomato paste quickly in the meat flavor left from browning. Then add carrots and celery to the pan, then beef stock and wine and it deglazes the pan so all the yummy stuff is incorporated. Also, four to thicken. Meat added back. That’s not the whole recipe. It all cooks in the same pot. Still a lot of steps in my opinion.
I have an Instapot, and you can brown right in the pot and then pressure cook or slow cook. I have not tried to slow cook in it.
No matter what I don’t worry about browning meat perfectly for this sort of thing and I like recipes I can just through every thing in one step.