Windows 11 is now rolling out to more users, but this doesn’t mean the operating system is complete. Microsoft is still working on new features which will be added at a later time alongside new native apps. Microsoft has created a new Media Player app for Windows 11, and it’s beginning to test the app with Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel today. The redesigned Media Player app will support both audio and video, and it includes a design that better matches Windows 11’s UI improvements.
“At the heart of Media Player is a full-featured music library that allows you to quickly browse and play music, as well as create and manage playlists,” explains Dave Grochocki, a senior program manager lead for Microsoft’s Windows inbox apps team. “The update to the new Media Player will replace the Groove Music app.”
The playback view in this new Media Player app includes album art or artist imagery, which will appear both in full-screen modes and the mini player option. The app looks nice and it’s the cherry on top of a long, long-awaited overhaul of Windows Media Player. It’s a bit of a shame that Microsoft chose such a boring name for the new app, but at least users shouldn’t be confused about what it does.
Media Player will also support video, which is usually handled in Windows 10 and Windows 11 in a separate Films & TV app. “All your content in the music and video folders on your PC will appear automatically in your library, but you can also tell Media Player where to look for additional content in app settings,” says Grochocki.
It’s clear this Media Player app is also designed to replace the legacy Windows Media Player app that still exists in Windows 11 today. Microsoft says this legacy app will continue to be available in Windows Tools, but it looks like the new Media Player for Windows 11 will be the primary way to watch video and listen to audio in the operating system soon.
Microsoft is starting to test this new Media Player app with Windows 11 testers in the Dev Channel today, but the company hasn’t committed to a date for when all Windows 11 users will get this new app yet.
