Windows 10 is getting support for Vorbis, Theora and Ogg media formats

Microsoft is adding support for three new media formats to Windows 10 in the future. Windows 10 already supports a very wide range of media formats, both through native support and third-party apps. Most notably, Redmond added support for the Free Lossless Audio Codec on Windows with the launch of Windows 10 a few years ago.

And now, it’s adding support for the OGG media container, Vorbis audio codec, and the Theora video codec in Windows 10. According to the Microsoft Edge platform development status page, support for the OGG Container, Vorbis Audio Codec, and Theora Video Codec is now in development for Windows 10 devices (PCs, Mixed Reality, Xbox, and Mobile). It isn’t known when exactly Microsoft will ship support for these new media formats in Windows 10, but it will probably arrive with the release of Windows 10 Redstone 4 in early 2018.

Windows 10 getting support for Vorbis is actually a bit interesting. That’s because Microsoft recently killed Groove Music and is now in the process of transferring users to its partner Spotify. Although Spotify doesn’t have a modern Windows 10 UWP app yet, the company’s desktop app uses Vorbis powered by their built-in decoders. Microsoft adding support for Vorbis into Windows 10 could allow Spotify to achieve better performance and efficiency on its desktop app, or better yet: build a new UWP app without a lot of hassle that comes with porting its custom Vorbis decoders to the UWP. We’ll just have to wait and see how this plays out.

Via: Ctrl Blog