Windows DVD Player is a free download for people upgrading from certain versions of Windows Microsoft

Microsoft has removed free DVD playback from Windows 10 for most users and is charging £11.59 for its Windows DVD Player app.

Native DVD playback was ditched by Microsoft in Windows 8, allowing the company to save a few pennies in licensing costs. The same decision has been made in Windows 10.


The Windows DVD Player app has two features: play DVDs on your PC and navigate around menus. It does not play Blu-ray discs, nor can it play DVDs from files stored on a PC.

Those upgrading to Windows 10 from Windows 7 Ultimate, Professional, Home Premium or Windows 8.1 with Media Centre will get the Windows DVD Player app for free for a limited time as part of Microsoft's automatic update scheme.

Microsoft said the free download would expire "at or before" the end of the Windows 10 free upgrade period.

Those after free DVD playback should download VLC media player instead. The desktop version can play just about any media file, including DVDs.

The lack of native DVD playback isn't the only staple missing from Windows 10. Solitaire, which has been free since Windows 3.0 in 1990, is now freemium and plays video adverts at regular intervals unless people upgrade to "premium" for $1.49 per month or $9.99 per year.