But just its name gives the app the right connotations for users who just want to play some music as soon as their PC has upgraded to Windows 11. Windows Media Player has that feeling of nostalgia to it, whether that’s from the skins or visualizations it used to offer. While there’s been a version of Windows Media Player available to download since 2012 (opens in new tab), it was seemingly abandoned, with the Groove Music and Movies & TV apps replacing it instead. Many users remember the bizarre skins that you could use, such as a green head or an orange heart.

If you used Windows XP back in 2001, there’s a good chance that you will have used Windows Media Player in some way. With the app still in testing, we may see the new media player arrive in a future update of Windows 11 early next year to help take back the mantle of being the go-to media player once more.Īnalysis: A glaring omission is finally being fixed With the different forms that computers take, from tablets to modular laptops, Microsoft’s media player could have been the center of playing all the media available on your device. While Windows Media Player has been left by the wayside, other apps such as VLC have taken the mantle as the default video players that users flock to instead.

While the original Windows Media Player app has been available to download since 2012 (opens in new tab), this new version looks to fill the gap in something that Microsoft has been missing the mark at.

The layout of the app is very reminiscent of early Windows Media Player versions, especially when browsing files in the library section.

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