A new media player is coming to Windows 10 that will replace Groove Music! On the Windows Insider Program Release Preview Channel, Microsoft has quietly released an updated version of Groove Music that replaces the old music player with a brand new app called “Windows Media Player”.
Windows 11 Media Player is slowly rolling out for Windows 10 Insiders who have signed up for the Release Preview Channel. It’s reminiscent of the original Windows Media Player, but uses WinUI 3.0 and Microsoft’s Fluent Design system. Although Windows 10 doesn’t have rounded corners, this new media player still reminds you of the design of Windows 11.
The new media player was first revealed during a Windows Insider Program stream in 2021 and later released to Windows 11 users. Microsoft remained silent about the release of Windows 10 until today’s update on the Release Preview Channel finally brought the app to the old operating system.
Of course, there are too many free media players for Windows, but Microsoft isn’t exactly late. Although we have better alternatives like VLC and MPV (our personal favourite), the new Windows Media Player is still a pretty good option for new users.
How to get the new Windows Media Player on Windows 10
You can find the new app as an update in the Microsoft Store. To get the player, go to Microsoft Store > Library and check for updates. An update will automatically replace the existing Groove Music app and migrate your playlists to the new app.
Available in both dark and light modes, this new media player also respects the accent color of Windows 10. By default, it uses a black and orange or white and orange color scheme.
Media Player’s design is pretty simple and it works really well. Unlike Groove Music, Media Player can play both audio and video files. As with the Movies & TV app, there is HDR support here too. So if you have new modern movies in that particular file format, you can use the new player to play the media.
The current version of Windows Media Player is 11.2209.30.0 and the minimum version listed is Windows 10 Build 19042. If you can’t wait for the update to hit your system, you can download the app’s offline bundle and run the .msixbundle.
