01What happened

The story, straight

Windows 11's redesigned Media Player consumes 3.5 times more RAM than its predecessor and requires users to pay for popular video codecs, according to an ExtremeTech report. The shift marks a departure from the legacy Windows Media Player, which bundled codec support for free. Microsoft has not yet detailed pricing for the codec packs or explained the RAM increase.

windows 11's new media player burns through 3.5x the RAM of the old one and now charges you for codecs that used to be free. microsoft hasn't said what the codec packs cost or why the RAM usage ballooned. the legacy player just worked.

02Spread timeline

Where it actually started

Jun 20, 2026Origin
ExtremeTech report surfaces detailing Windows 11 Media Player RAM and codec changes.extremetech drops the report, hits hacker news front page
source
Jun 20, 2026
HackerNewsBot cross-posts the story to Mastodon's #tech community.hackernewsbot mirrors the story on mastodon
source

03Source receipts

Every claim, linked

04What's solid, what isn't

What's solid and what isn't

Confirmed
  • Windows 11's new Media Player uses 3.5x more RAM than the legacy version.
  • Popular video codecs that were previously bundled free now require payment.
Disputed
  • Exact pricing for the codec packs has not been disclosed by Microsoft.
  • The specific technical reason for the 3.5x RAM increase has not been officially explained.

05Why it matters

The editorial take

Bundling free codecs has been a Windows staple for decades — charging for them signals Microsoft's continued push to monetize features that were once default. The RAM spike also raises questions about optimization, especially for users on older or lower-spec machines who rely on built-in media tools rather than third-party players like VLC.

windows has bundled free codecs since forever. charging for them now is microsoft testing how much you'll pay for stuff that used to just exist. the RAM bloat is the other insult — if you're on a budget laptop, good luck.