Windows 11 Media Player Uses More RAM Than Classic Version

Microsoft's new Media Player for Windows 11 consumes more memory and opens video files more slowly than the classic version from the Windows 7 era [1, 2].

These performance regressions highlight a trend in modern software where updated interfaces often come at the cost of system efficiency. For users with limited hardware, the increased resource demand can lead to slower overall system performance, and longer wait times for basic media playback.

Tests conducted on Windows 11 Insider Preview builds indicate that the modern player is less efficient than its predecessor [1, 2]. Specifically, the new software's RAM usage is 3.5 times higher than that of the classic player ^[2]. This increase in memory consumption occurs alongside slower video launch times, suggesting that the underlying architecture of the new app is more bloated than the software used nearly two decades ago.

Beyond performance metrics, the new Media Player introduces changes to how users access content. Some codecs, which allow the software to play specific video formats, are now placed behind a paywall ^[2]. This shift from the free, integrated model of the classic player means users may have to pay for the ability to play popular video files that were previously supported without additional cost.

Microsoft has not provided a detailed explanation for the performance gap between the two versions. The disparity in RAM usage and speed suggests that the transition to a modern UI framework has introduced overhead that the original Windows Media Player did not possess ^[1].

Users seeking the efficiency of the older version currently find the modern replacement lacking in both speed and resource management [1, 2].