Microsoft has big plans to bring gaming on Windows 10 and Xbox One closer together. One key to that strategy is the Xbox app the company announced back in January, which lets you access Xbox Live features from your PC. And after checking out a demo of the app at GDC in San Francisco, one thing is pretty clear: Microsoft is trying to tap into the booming market of Twitch game streamers and YouTube personalities.

"It's our aspiration to make every game better on Windows 10."

Your Xbox One already lets your record gameplay footage and share it on multiple services, but when you bring that concept to your PC the functionality opens up quite a bit. Using the Xbox app on Windows 10, you can browse all of the clips you recorded on your console, and even edit them using some rudimentary tools to trim the length. But the app goes one step further by letting you download those clips, and then cut and mix them however you want using any video editor already on your PC. You can then upload them to the social network of your choice; and if you're someone who wants to share their Sunset Overdrive exploits on YouTube, it's a pretty ideal set-up.

Of course, the same also goes for Windows 10 games, which you can record simply by using the Windows + G command. During the demo the process seemed very streamlined. Developers don't need to do anything to bring this functionality to their games; even titles you purchased through services like Steam will work the same as games you buy through the Windows Store. "It's our aspiration to make every game better on Windows 10," says Microsoft's Richard Irving.

Given the booming popularity of gaming personalities on YouTube and Twitch, it seems like an obvious move for Microsoft, and the new app will even recommend popular broadcasters for your favorite games as new Xbox Live friends. It lets you do other things, like message friends and check out achievements, but so far the recording functionality seems like the most impressive and important piece. The Xbox app will be available to Windows 10 users later this year, and it's just one part of a much bigger theme that was outlined by Xbox head Phil Spencer during a talk earlier at GDC: Microsoft wants to bring gaming back to Windows in a big way.

"We want this to be the best version of Windows ever for gamers and game developers," Spencer said.