Microsoft's changes to give users more control over game files in the Xbox for PC app may seem trivial, but the lasting impact of this change could be significant for the community.

Last week, Microsoft rolled out a new Insider update to its Xbox PC app. In addition to opening up access to cloud gaming, the update will also give users free access to the installers for games they download. This is something that the Microsoft Store and the Xbox App for PC have both struggled with in the past, and it’s something that has scared away PC gamers who are used to open access to such files. The update won’t be a huge change by most people, but the overall effect it could have on the community’s support for Xbox gaming on PC is another story.

"The immediate impact of the Xbox/Windows change is primarily that users can install games outside of very specific file locations. This makes it easier for users to install games to different drives to manage storage, but it also gives users the ability to mod games," Ben Wiley, assistant professor and program director for Game Production Management at Champlain College, told Lifewire via email.

“I wouldn't describe this particular change as particularly seismic, but it is a clear new step in Microsoft's growth as a multi-platform content company.”