do you think chess becomes more and more frustrating the better you get?

For me, it depends. It really depends on my approach to the game and my personal expectations. When I get better, I notice my own mistakes and those of others more easily. This can make losses more frustrating because I know exactly where I went wrong. It also depends on the level of competitiveness I want to maintain: the higher my rating, the more I face prepared and attentive opponents, which can be annoying. However, it also depends on my passion: if I love studying strategies and tactics, I find satisfaction even in lost games. It depends on the context too: playing online with fast time controls is different from playing slow games in person. Moreover, it depends on my ability to detach from my ego and see the game as a learning experience. For me, continuous improvement can become exciting, not frustrating. So yes, getting better can be frustrating, but for me, it depends on how I choose to experience each game.

I much prefer games that were almost equal until my opponent made a few errors (but no particularly bad "blunders") that slowly added up until their position was entirely lost. It's much more interesting to analyze these games, because it's often not immediately obvious where everything fell apart. That way, you can actually learn something other than "don't hang pieces, you fool."

Another reason I like games like these is that when they end, I feel as though I genuinely outplayed my opponent and really earned the win, as opposed to a game where my opponent simply wasn't paying attention and left a piece hanging out of nowhere.

Unfortunately, you have to get your rating to a certain point before these games actually start to occur; at my rating, for example, they're not exactly common. Because of that, though, I think chess does get more fun as you improve. Games that actually play out like real battles await you.

...On the other hand, there is potential frustration to be had when you play against people who are better and don't fall for things as easily as other players do. 💀

I think chess becomes more rewarding the better you get. A dynamic GM like Hikaru, who's on fire right now, must be feeling pretty great.