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Best & Free Media Players For Windows 10/11 PCs (2023 Edition)

2023-01-052023-01-05 by Joseph D Will

The OTT Platforms and media streaming scene is quite alive in 2023, but media players are still essential apps for every PC. While most media players can play videos, it’s important you have a seamless experience. Wondering which one to go for? We’ve compiled a list of our picks for the best media players for Windows 10/11 systems.

There are a wide range of video formats that prioritize efficiency or quality, and not every media player can handle all file types. Hence, an ideal app shouldn’t let you worry about such technicalities. Our picks of the best media players check all, if not most boxes.

1. PotPlayer

Developed by the South Korean company Kakao, the feature-packed video player for PC could give VLC a run for its money. Despite being less-known initially, PotPlayer has gained great popularity in the last few years.

PotPlayer offers a wide range of customization options that allow you to personalize the software. Using techniques like CUDA, QuickSync, and DXVA, PotPlayer can deliver maximum performance and a lightweight experience. That’s why PotPlayer is the second-best media player on the list.

Compared to VLC, PotPlayer might be less popular, but it might support even more file types. It’s a great player for MP4/FLV/AVI/MKV files, which are very common, and it can even play 4K HDR files efficiently. You can choose between sound cards, bookmark your favorite scenes and preview them, and a lot more.

The video player for PC can also play 3D videos and supports various types of 3D glasses. In addition, It comes with lots of built-in keyboard shortcuts and hotkeys. But what makes VLC more popular than PotPlayer?

The long list of features and settings for most users might be just too much. Also, PotPlayer is limited to Windows. Overall, PotPlayer is one of the best media players right now that can play anything you throw at it.

Why should you use PotPlayer?

Attractive interface
Better audio performance
Tons of customization options

Supported Platforms: Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP

2. VLC Media Player

Given the plethora of features, custom skins, and helpful customization options it comes with, VLC certainly deserves mention among the best media players of 2023. It has maintained its name in the popularity charts for years now.

VLC Media Player is a free media player available for all popular platforms. Created by the VideoLAN project, VLC supports many audio and video compression methods and file formats. Over the years, it has earned the reputation of being the “play everything” video player, including 3D videos. Not to mention, you can take screenshots of your desktop as well. However, it struggles with high-resolution video files at times, but is definitely ahead of several others in the competiton.

It is one of the best PC media players due to its fast and straightforward nature that doesn’t involve any painstaking steps. Besides playing local content, you can also use VLC to stream content from online sites like YouTube. Intrigued how? Read our detailed articles on amazing VLC tips and tricks.

This amazing Windows Media Player alternative also receives frequent updates and has a large user community. It runs on all Windows versions, from Windows 11 to Windows XP SP3. This free movie player keeps receiving new features and updates from time to time.

Why should you use VLC?

Free and open source
Plays almost anything
Available on almost all platforms

Supported Platforms: Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP

3. KMPlayer

KMPlayer is another great and free Windows 10/11 media player that can play almost all mainstream video and audio files. You can add external codecs to boost compatibility. It comes with 3D, 4K, and UHD support has a 64-bit version, and can play videos in up to 8K 60fps on PCs with capable hardware.

KMPlayer is also known for its wide range of support for formats. Users have lots of choices of audio and video effects, which makes sure that they don’t have a dearth of any features or support. Despite tough competition, KMPlayer maintains a decent user base, and would not disappoint you.

You can choose the parts of videos as favorites, make them repeat, remap the keys for the remote interface, etc. You also edit video subtitles inside the KMPlayer. First released in 2002, KMPlayer free media player was acquired by Korean streaming company Pandora TV in 2007.