Selecting "list view" in tab settings (open the tabs menu and click on the context menu at the bottom) might get you closer to what you're looking for, though there are still small thumbnails.

That said, I'd personally still like a "compact" option for the grid view myself. I like seeing a legible preview since I'm more visual, but like you said, the current size is a little too unwieldy for tab hoarders like us lol. I felt it struck a nice compromise between legibility and size-efficiency before this update.