June 20, 2026
Now Playing: community outrage
Windows 11 New Media Player Uses 3.5x More RAM, Charges for Popular Video Codecs
Windows users are roasting Microsoft as VLC and even Linux get the last laugh
TLDR: Windows 11’s new Media Player reportedly uses far more memory than the old one and puts some common video support behind paid add-ons. In the comments, people mocked Microsoft, reminisced about the bad old codec-pack era, and loudly suggested skipping it for VLC — or even leaving Windows entirely.
Microsoft wanted Windows 11’s new Media Player to look sleek and modern. The community’s response? Why is the shiny new app fatter, slower, and asking for extra money just to play common video files? Tests showing the new player idling at about 377MB of memory versus 103MB for the old one instantly set the mood: people were not impressed. Add in slower startup times and paid add-ons for some popular video formats, and the comments turned into a full-on drag session.
The loudest reaction was basically: why bother with Microsoft’s player at all? One commenter flat-out wondered if VLC — the longtime free video player hero — is still the default escape hatch, while another said this kind of nickel-and-diming makes Windows feel like it’s pushing users away. A few took the drama even further, using the moment to hype up Linux as the cooler, less annoying alternative, with one person dropping a Linus Tech Tips Linux test like evidence in a courtroom. The spicy implication: Microsoft may be losing the once-loyal “power user” crowd.
Then came the nostalgia panic. Several commenters said this codec mess feels like a trip back to the bad old days of hunting down codec packs just to make a movie play. One person shrugged that Media Player only exists as a built-in emergency option anyway — but that almost made the roast worse. The vibe was brutal: the default app is bloated, basic features cost extra, and the free alternatives are getting all the love.
Key Points
- •The article says Windows 11’s new Media Player uses about 377MB of RAM while idle versus roughly 103MB for the classic Windows Media Player.
- •Tests cited by the article report that opening local video files takes around three seconds in the new player versus about two seconds in the legacy version.
- •Microsoft paywalls HEVC (H.265) playback through the paid HEVC Video Extensions app in the Microsoft Store, according to the article.
- •Microsoft has confirmed that Windows 11 version 24H2 removes built-in AC-3 (Dolby Digital) codec support, limiting native playback in the new Media Player.
- •The new Media Player replaces Groove Music and the classic Windows Media Player across Windows 11 PCs, while VLC is mentioned as a third-party alternative with built-in codecs.