What is the point of the RGB sensor if the infrared data is available?

Isn't infrared data at a different frequency from the RGB channels? Correct me if I'm wrong.

Is the benefit of the IR sensor that you're also generating IR light with a laser? So it's more controllable than just pulling in RGB channel information.

Infrared light is indeed just light at a different frequency. However, since it's not visible, it could be used to easily generate depth maps of the environment and capture motions without the interference of other visible lights.