A couple of months ago, Microsoft inadvertently showed off a new media playing experience that it was working on. However, little was known about it due to the fact that only a screenshot of it had appeared online. Today, Microsoft has confirmed the existence of a new "Media Player" app for Windows 11, and it is rolling it out to those on the Dev Channel right now.
Microsoft has noted that the Media Player app will replace Groove Music on Windows 11 eventually and all existing libraries and playlists will seamlessly and automatically migrate to the new experience. Apart from that, Media Player will obviously be able to play local music and video content as well. Microsoft has noted that the new app has been designed with Windows 11 aesthetics in mind, so do expect rounded corners and other design elements related to the OS.
Other features that Microsoft has touted are album art and "rich artist imagery" that will be visible both in the full screen mode as well as the mini player. Keyboard shortcuts and accessibility-focused enhancements are in tow too.
The legacy Windows Media Player will apparently co-exist with the new Media Player app for now though, if you would rather use that. Microsoft has noted that it is already aware of issues related to playing content stored in network locations, and those related to editing metadata or UI components not respecting app theme preferences. That said, the company will be looking to fix these problems and add new features to the app with the passage of time. Microsoft has not committed to a general release date for Media Player on Windows 11 yet, and has not indicated that it will arrive on Windows 10.
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