Vantage Player
A minimal Windows video player that plays everything.
HEVC, MKV, MOV, WebM, AVI, every codec Windows 11 makes you buy a Store extension for, with a clean folder-aware UI. Built on .NET 10 + WPF + the VLC engine.
Free · Windows 10/11 · Microsoft Store
Early access. If you hit an issue, use Help in the app to submit a support ticket.
26 seconds. Open a file. The rest of the folder is already in reach.
v2026.7.1, first Microsoft Store release
What's new
Open a video, swipe to the next one in the same folder. That is the product.
Play a folder, not just a file
- • Open a video and swipe or arrow to the next file in the same folder.
- • Slide-out folder browser with thumbnails of every sibling.
- • Drag a file or a whole folder onto the window.
Plays the files you actually have
- • HEVC, MKV, MOV, MP4, WebM, AVI, and the rest. No extra codec packs.
- • Hardware decoding on by default. Turn it off in Settings if a file tears.
Stays out of the way
- • Auto-hiding control bar. Resume, auto-play next, or repeat.
- • Fit, Fill, Stretch, plus Force 16:9 and Force 4:3 when the container lies.
- • Ctrl+S saves the frame on screen to Pictures\Vantage Player.
Privacy and defaults
- • Your videos never leave this PC. File and folder names are never sent.
- • Set as your default video app from Settings. Windows still has to confirm it.
- • Optional usage data is a Settings toggle. Crash reports stay on so we can fix decoder failures.
Windows Makes Video Annoying
Phone footage in HEVC. Camera files in MKV. iPhone clips in MOV. And the built-in player demands money from the Store before it'll touch them.
Codec Packs Cost Money
The Microsoft Store wants $0.99 for HEVC extensions on a machine that already has the hardware to decode it.
Folders Don't Browse
Open a video, finish, back to Explorer, find the next file, double-click. There has to be an arrow key.
Big Players Are Heavy
Most "good" Windows players ship with a giant feature surface. Vantage Player is the small fast one in the middle.
Built For Watching Things
Plays Everything
- ✓ HEVC / H.265, no Store extension needed
- ✓ MP4 / H.264, MKV, MOV, WebM, AVI
- ✓ The VLC engine, embedded, same compatibility, no separate install
- ✓ Native libraries ship next to the .exe
Folder-Swipe Navigation
- ✓ ← / → arrow keys jump to previous / next file in the folder
- ✓ Mouse drag-swipe, drag right for previous, left for next
- ✓ On-screen ◀ ▶ buttons in the control bar
- ✓ No playlist UI to manage, the folder is the playlist
Keyboard-First
- ✓ Space = play / pause, F = fullscreen, Esc to exit
- ✓ , / . to seek −10 s / +10 s, ↑ / ↓ for volume
- ✓ Ctrl+O to open a file dialog
- ✓ Single-click = play/pause, double-click = fullscreen
Stays Out Of The Way
- ✓ Auto-hiding control bar, appears on mouse move, fades after ~2.5 s
- ✓ Cursor hides during playback too
- ✓ Open files via dialog, drag-and-drop, or double-click in Explorer
- ✓ Per-user "Open with" registration, no admin required
What you need
Open it, watch it, swipe to the next one.
Free, small, and plays the videos Windows pretends it can't.
Get it from Microsoft StoreFree, uses LGPL'd LibVLC under the hood, full attribution in the install folder.
Windows 10/11 · Early Release · Microsoft Store