As dumb as it may sound, will can affect survival. People (young even) have actually died due to emotional distress. It’s very rare, but they are usually in a weakened state when it happens. Pluss, tech in SW varies all the time depending on what the plot requires. And SW is basically a fantasy world with sci-fi tech instead of magic.
As far as I’m concerned the real issue with that scene is the lack of continuity with the OT.