Microsoft keeps updating its default media app for Windows 11. Yet fresh tests show the modern Media Player lags behind the legacy version that shipped with Windows 7. The older app launches videos faster. It consumes far less memory. And it handles common formats without extra fees.
Recent Insider builds delivered version 11.2605.14.0. They fixed caption styling, added an indexing banner for media libraries, reduced playback errors through better file recognition, required names for playlists, stabilized queue edits, and clarified messages for missing codecs. These changes arrived in Experimental, Beta, and Release Preview channels around June 12. Digital Trends reported the details.
But the improvements miss the bigger picture. Performance gaps persist. Resource demands remain high. Codec restrictions frustrate users who expect basic playback out of the box.
Legacy code still wins on speed and efficiency
Idle memory tells a stark story. The modern player sits at roughly 377 MB. The legacy Windows Media Player uses just 103.4 MB under identical conditions. That makes the new version 3.5 times heavier while doing nothing. Windows Latest ran the benchmarks.
Launch times widen the divide further. Legacy opens a local video file in about two seconds. The modern app takes three seconds or more. A 50 percent slowdown. And where legacy and free tools like VLC start playback almost instantly, the new player drags. ExtremeTech highlighted these numbers drawn from the same tests.
Users notice. They open a video shot on a recent phone. Transfer it to their PC. Then face delays or prompts to buy extensions. The experience feels broken. Especially when software written nearly two decades ago handles the task with less overhead.
Codecs compound the problem. HEVC, or H.265, appears everywhere. iPhones record in it by default. Many Android devices do too. Yet the modern Media Player requires the paid HEVC Video Extensions from the Microsoft Store. Cost? Ninety-nine cents. The legacy player supports playback without that purchase, even though the format emerged long after its original release.
Windows 11 version 24H2 removed built-in AC-3, also known as Dolby Digital, support. That leaves some audio tracks unplayable in the new app without additional workarounds. PCWorld noted the update improves stability and subtitles but still trails the older version on speed, resources, and native format support.
Microsoft maintains the app never stopped receiving development. The company points to ongoing Insider work as proof. Yet the gap with legacy code raises questions about architectural choices. Why does a contemporary app built for a modern OS demand triple the idle memory of its predecessor?
Part of the answer lies in the shift away from classic Win32 foundations. The new player relies on newer frameworks that prioritize consistency with Windows 11 design. They integrate Store-based extensions for certain decoders. Patent licensing for HEVC adds real costs that Microsoft passes on. Still, the result strikes many as a step backward.
Power users already moved on. VLC remains the default recommendation. It bundles its own codecs. It launches quickly. It plays almost anything without Store prompts or extra RAM. MPV offers similar strengths with even lighter resource use. HowToGeek recently suggested MPC-BE as a strong open-source option with a clean dark interface that fits Windows 11 better than the native choice.
Even so, the default matters. Millions of Windows users never install alternatives. They expect the built-in player to work. When it doesn’t, or when it feels sluggish, it reflects on the entire platform. A basic task like double-clicking an MP4 should not highlight regressions from 2009 software.
Microsoft faces a dilemma. The legacy Windows Media Player still ships as an optional feature. Users can enable it through Settings and associate files with it. Many do exactly that for local video. The company wants to retire that old code. Yet the modern replacement must first close the performance and compatibility gaps.
Further updates could help. Faster startup routines. Reduced memory footprint. Free or bundled codec support for popular phone formats. Tighter integration with system settings beyond captions. Without those, the app risks remaining a curiosity rather than the reliable daily driver Microsoft intends.
The situation underscores a broader pattern. Nostalgia for older Windows tools often stems from genuine strengths they retained. Simple, lightweight, capable. Modern replacements chase visual polish and Store monetization. Sometimes they sacrifice the fundamentals that made the originals effective.
For now, the numbers don’t lie. Three hundred seventy-seven megabytes idle. Slower launches. Paid extensions for formats that should just work. The modern Media Player has improved. But it has not yet surpassed the version from 17 years ago. And that fact alone explains why so many Windows 11 users stick with legacy options or third-party players.
Windows 11 Media Player Falls Short of 17-Year-Old Predecessor first appeared on Web and IT News.