> an explicit Uint8Array should only only necessary if you want to inline the wasm directly with the JS that instantiates it.

Are there any realistic scenarios where this is the more sensible option?

Anyway, I should have searched MDN first, the relevant bit of documentation is pretty clear:

    fetch('simple.wasm').then(response =>
      response.arrayBuffer()
    ).then(bytes =>
      WebAssembly.instantiate(bytes, importObject)
    ).then(results => {
      results.instance.exports.exported_func();
    });