Side tables attract small stuff: remotes, glasses, lip balm, pens, coasters, hair ties. Spread out directly on the surface, they look like clutter, even if you actually need all of them.
A tray acts like a boundary. Everything can still sit there, but now your eye reads it as “one organised group” instead of ten random objects. The rest of the table stays clear for a cup or book.
You haven’t reduced the number of things; you’ve just given them a contained home. Visually, that’s a big difference.
