I would guess that at least on some routes/at some airports these gate-checked bags may be returned at the aircraft steps on arrival, so the affected customers may not have to go through the entire luggage reclaim process.
However, if it was crucial that you had your rollaboard on board with you, you were probably paying for Priority Boarding already, anyway. Or if a quick getaway on arrival was important, you were probably paying for a seat near the front that came with Priority Boarding.