Windows 11 New Media Player Uses 3.5x More RAM, Charges for Popular Video Codecs

Windows 11's new Media Player uses 3.5 times more RAM than the classic version when idle (377MB versus 103MB) and loads video files 50% slower, while also paywalling popular codecs like HEVC and removing built-in AC-3 audio support. The change has drawn criticism as Microsoft pushes the new player as the default across Windows 11, though users can still opt for the legacy player or third-party alternatives like VLC.