I'm a player. I weave stories with my words, other players add their own strands, and the whole becomes something more. As long as the GM can do the same, and misunderstandings can be corrected before things fall apart, visuals are a bonus. That said, visuals allow some situations to be presented precisely in a way that is more readily understandable than with words alone.
It's all about the situation:
If you can picture the scene without needing visuals, then words are sufficient. Most social interactions are actually very good like this, as visuals aren't necessary at at all. The same applies to simple combat situations, or any other interaction where the location can be simply described, and you can visualize where people and objects are in relation to each other and the location.
On the other paw:
A complex place, such as a bar room with an irregular shape, staircases, a mezzanine floor and multiple doors, not to mention multiple tables, perhaps a small stage for performances or an instrument such as a piano, well, that's a lot harder to visualize as a combat location. That's where some kind of visual aid makes things a lot faster and easier to understand.