Windows 10: Microsoft charges $15 to watch DVDs on new operating system

But users probably don’t want to use the company’s app anyway

Fans celebrate the launch of Windows 10 in Sydney (Microsoft)

Windows 10 users have to pay $15 if they want to use Microsoft’s DVD player in the new operating system.

The newly-released operating system doesn’t let its users play DVDs out of the box. Instead, Microsoft recommends that they buy its official DVD player from the Windows app store, spending $15 or £11.59 to do so.

But many have warned that the app isn’t much good and that users should take advantage of the many free options that are at their disposal. VLC media player is the usual choice — as well as being free and offering the same DVD capabilities, it also offers many more playback options and will play almost every kind of video.

Microsoft got rid of native DVD playback in Windows 8, in an attempt to save the money that it had to pay in licenses to the patent holders of the technology required to do so. But in Windows 8, users could at least use the free Windows Media Player to watch films — but that has now been removed.

It isn’t the only feature that Windows has unexpectedly announced will be going paid-for. Windows 10 also brings a subscription version of the popular Solitaire game, charging people to get rid of ads.