Yes. The investment ($30–$50 for the cable + free/patch software) is unbeatable. You get bi-directional control, actuator tests, custom programming, and dealer-level diagnostics for pennies.
As vehicles move to using Ethernet (100BASE-TX) instead of CAN, the humble USB-based Mini VCI is becoming obsolete. Newer Toyota models (2024+ Tacoma, 2025+ Camry) require: mini vci j2534 software
Many J2534 applications require a wrapper to translate generic J2534 commands into Mini VCI hardware commands. For Toyota Techstream, this is built-in. For other brands (like Ford IDS or GM GDS2), you may need additional passthru configurators. you may need additional passthru configurators.