While Windows 11 does come with a fully-featured MediaPlayer, it only checks some of the boxes as many dedicated media players do.
You can still enjoy your music and movies with the help of these applications.
Because they have been around for several decades, these best media players for Windows 11 are extremely proficient at performing their designated functions.
The following is a list that we have gathered of some of the best free media players for Windows 11 that are currently accessible for download.
Ranking of the Best Media Players for Windows 11
1. 5K players
It is among the best media players for Windows 11 for watching and organizing films, and 5KPlayer is among the most extensive.
The app allows you to upload the entirety of the video library stored on your computer.
This way, rather than searching through the contents of your hard drive, you may select videos directly from within 5KPlayer.
You may also use Apple’s AirPlay to stream videos directly from YouTube and simultaneously broadcast videos to several different devices.
The player can play virtually any video format imaginable, including 8K and 360-degree videos, so feel free to throw absolutely anything at it.
The options for managing the playback of music and video are quite broad, even though they do not quite correspond to the controls you can find in VLC Media Player.
The fact that the free edition of 5KPlayer includes numerous advertisements is something you should bear in mind when using the program. You won’t see them when you are in the middle of watching a video.
On the other hand, you will notice them when you are looking through your collection or tinkering with the settings.
2. Potplayer
Pot Player is a very powerful application that people consider one of the best media players for Windows 11.
It supports 360-degree films, 8K, and 3D videos and comes packaged with various codecs.
Suppose you attempt to play a file format that Pot Player does not support. In that case, it will immediately begin downloading your required codecs.
It comes pre-packaged with a free screen recorder and a set of free video editing tools, both of which are features that take time to be obvious.
The number of personalization options available during video viewing is remarkable, and shortcut keys make it easy to access your most frequently adjusted settings.
To put the cherry on top, Pot Player is an extremely lightweight software.
It loads faster than virtually any other video player, free or paid, and even while playing big movies, it only uses a few of the computer’s resources.
3. Media Player Classic
The most recent iteration of a Windows standard player, Media Player Classic – Home Cinema, is an additional choice that deserves consideration.
Since it first began, it has undergone significant development. The most recent edition is a formidable adversary to VLC Media Player and other free solutions.
The fact that it has toolbars that you can customize sets it apart from similar programs.
This software makes it much easier to access and apply the numerous playback adjustment options by considerably simplifying the process.
Although the user interface is quite simplistic, the menu architecture makes it relatively easy to locate your required controls. In addition to that, this software is quite lightweight, which is a really helpful feature.
It is designed to run on the same personal computers as the original Media Player Classic, which implies that it makes very light use of the available computational resources.
Despite this, it can play nearly every type of media file, including videos in 360 degrees and 8K resolution.
4. VLC Media Player
VLC Media Player is among the best media players for Windows 11 for anyone searching for a free media player compatible with Windows 11 and capable of playing any video thrown its way.
This software can play compressed video files and 360-degree videos, movies, and snippets with resolutions reaching up to 8K.
This cost-free movie player also has an extensive selection of controls and additional functions.
You can modify the parameters of your video player to improve the playback or audio quality, and you can add filters to particular clips to change how they look.
If you choose to watch movies without the sound on, VLC Media Player also enables synchronous subtitles, which could be very helpful.
One of the major disadvantages of the VLC Media Player is that most of its tools are buried deep within the program’s menus.
Finding your way around the interface to access and use some of the more advanced features requires effort.
5. GOM Player
Several advanced capabilities are available in GOM Player, which is used for playing back videos.
The program can render videos in 8K resolution and 360 degrees, allowing users to watch YouTube videos without leaving the app.
Compared to the settings found in other media players, this one’s video playback controls could be more comprehensive. Still, they are a lot simpler to use when you’re just starting.
GOM Player is one of the best media players for Windows 11 that is currently accessible since it has many codecs and a searchable codec library that enables you to play practically any kind of file.
This makes it one of the best free media players for Windows 11. You can use synchronous subtitles with the player and import entire playlists using file types such as .pls or .asx.
GOM Player now supports screen casting. Connecting your computer to a television or projector will enable you to play on a larger screen than your PC.
6. MPV Player
MPV Player is a video player of the highest caliber compatible with Windows 11. It is open-source software that does not cost anything to use.
It is well-known for supporting various media formats, including DXVA2 and VAAPI.
The MPV Player could have a better interface, but it does provide fundamental video controls.
MPV Player is a straightforward media player that doesn’t skimp on performance.
You won’t be able to locate a video player for Windows 11 that doesn’t use up a significant amount of the system’s resources.
In contrast to other media players, MPV Player supports programming languages like JavaScript and Lua Script.
7. DivX Player
The DivX Player is perhaps the best media player for Windows 11. This piece of software enables playing more modern codecs such as HECV, MKV, and AVI.
You can play media at a resolution of up to 4K. DivX Player is open-source free software that enables users to stream on DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance).
Even though DivX Player has a straightforward user interface, the developers have not skimped on the range of functions it offers.
DivX Player is the first media player to enable free playback of video and audio files. It has a media library that you can use to keep tabs on all of your videos from within the app.
8. Cyberlink Power DVD
Try out the CyberLink PowerDVD software, one of the best media players for Windows 11, if you want to have fun with various forms of multimedia.
You can experience content in any format, including 4K and 8K when using it.
In addition, the program provides support for Blu-ray discs, ISO files, and Ultra HD video, enabling users to stream online material directly from YouTube and Vimeo.
The program supports casting, which enables you to stream material wirelessly.
It is fully compatible with Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, and Apple TV. In addition, the software offers wireless streaming of content.
Speaking of which, you can also acquire this software for Apple TV or Fire TV, making it easy to share content across your network. You can get both of these apps from the respective app stores.
You can also view 360 films in addition to virtual reality and immerse yourself with spatial audio support.
Dolby Digital Surround, DTS, and High-Resolution Audio are all compatible formats with this device.
A comprehensive multimedia player, Cyberlink Power DVD is the ideal software to use if you want to stream material over your local area network (LAN) and enjoy high-quality videos on your personal computer (PC).
9. Windows 11 Player
Microsoft has finally published a media player app for Windows 11, which is fantastic news for everyone who uses Windows 11.
This video player is terrific news specifically for you. Using a video player from a third party will no longer be as difficult after this update has been implemented.
This media player app features a user interface that is streamlined, uncluttered, and basic.
The video player that comes with Windows 11 includes a night mode, accent colors, semi-transparent materials, and other customization choices.
Because it can play videos in every format available on a personal computer (including AVI, WAV, MPG, WMV, MP3, and others), the Windows 11 Media Player is among the best media players for Windows 11 and is worth mentioning.
10. MediaMonkey
The MediaMonkey digital video player is compatible with Windows 11, and it allows users to record and download movies and podcasts.
Plug-ins are available for usage with MediaMonkey, which is beneficial to users. Use MediaMonkey on your Android and iOS devices in addition to using it on your Windows computer.
You can play audio of good quality on your television, home stereo, or any other device you choose.
The majority of collectors use MediaMonkey. You can manage more than 100,000 audio and media files with it. You can organize the media you have and maintain it in the usual way.
You can transfer media files between devices running Windows, Android, and iOS with the help of MediaMonkey.
It can convert audio and video formats in response to customer requests.
11. Kodi Player
The Kodi Player is a popular video player that can be used on Windows 11. The user does not have to pay for the program.
Does “free” automatically imply “poor quality”? Not in the case of the Kodi Player. The Kodi player enables users to view live sporting events.
It is effective, and it is compatible with a large variety of other things. Home theater software that is free and open-source is known as Kodi Player.
With these amazing features, people consider them among the best media players for Windows 11.
Does Kodi allow different file formats? The Kodi media player supports several different file formats.
In terms of audio, these formats include MIDI, AAC, and WavPack; in terms of video, these formats include MP4 and real-time.
Kodi Player is a video player for Windows 11 and can record live TV and play games. The Kodi Player also has a built-in browser for you to use.
Conclusion
As we were committing, we talked about the best media players for Windows 11 that are compatible with any format.
If you need help with file formats, this article will be of great use to you.
