It does sound like SQL Server and SSMS have some very interesting choices in remoting models, based on what I've read of Azure Data Studio's development.

Azure Data Studio's the VS Code-based SSMS-like tool focused on Azure SQL and Cosmos DB. At one point the development blog was talking about it as if Azure Data Studio might some day be the eventual replacement for even SSMS itself, but they seem to have walked that back, at least in part due to how many crazy things SSMS does and how SSMS is one of those tools that certain types of users would possibly go into some sort of costly meltdown if their cheese moved.