Download PotPlayer for Windows PC v1.7.23159 for Windows PC
PotPlayer 1.7.23159 by Kakao: a free, lightweight Windows media player with built-in codecs, DXVA acceleration, deep subtitle control and 3D/360 playback.
Technical Specifications & System Requirements
Software notes
Features
- Built-in codecs play the overwhelming majority of video and audio formats, including HEVC and styled ASS subtitles, with no codec pack to install and no hunting for splitter or decoder downloads.
- DXVA, CUDA and QuickSync hardware acceleration keeps 4K and high-bitrate playback smooth while using little CPU or battery, which matters on laptops and older desktops alike.
- Subtitle handling is best in class: dual-track display, precise sync shifting, font and position control, and online subtitle search from inside the player, all without leaving the video.
- Bookmarks, A-B repeat, pitch-preserving speed control and scene-preview thumbnails make it excellent for language study and lecture review, where the same thirty seconds may be replayed a dozen times.
- It stays lightweight and starts fast despite the feature list, and skins plus an XInput controller option suit couch and HTPC setups where a gamepad is closer than a keyboard.
Considerations
- The installer can present offers for third-party software, and declining them takes more care than it should during an otherwise routine setup, which undermines trust in an otherwise clean program.
- Hundreds of interacting preferences make the settings dialogs intimidating, and one forgotten change can alter playback for every later file until you find and undo it.
- PotPlayer is Windows-only and closed source, so there is no native macOS or Linux version and no community audit of the code, and official English documentation remains thin.
About & Overview: PotPlayer for Windows PC
PotPlayer is Kakao's freeware media player for Windows, written by the original developer of KMPlayer, and it plays almost anything without a separate codec pack: MKV, MP4, AVI, HEVC/H.265, AV1-era web formats, FLAC and hundreds more are handled by internal codecs, with OpenCodec support for adding specialist decoders. Hardware acceleration through DXVA and CUDA/QuickSync keeps 4K and high-bitrate files smooth on modest machines, and the player supports 3D formats, 360-degree and VR video, playlists with thumbnail previews, bookmarking favourite scenes, A-B repeat, playback-speed control that preserves pitch, and capture of audio, video snapshots and screen grabs. Subtitles are a particular strength: SRT, ASS/SSA with full styling, SMI and VobSub are rendered with adjustable font, position and sync, multiple tracks can be shown at once, and built-in search can fetch subtitles for the playing file. It is best for viewers with mixed local libraries — anime with styled ASS subtitles, downloaded lectures, high-resolution rips — who found VLC's defaults plain but still want a fast, free player. The current 64-bit build, version 1.7.23159 (build 261021), changed the default video renderer to D3D11 and audio to WASAPI, added MPEG-4 DXVA support, HLS/DASH playback from local files, 180-degree video support and ReplayGain. During setup, read each screen: the installer can offer third-party software, which you can decline before PotPlayer itself installs.
How to Install & Verify PotPlayer for Windows PC
Get PotPlayerSetup64.exe from the official Latest-version address on t1.daumcdn.net, which is where potplayer.daum.net itself links — never from codec-pack or 'PotPlayer Pro' sites.
Launch PotPlayerSetup64.exe, pick your language and accept the licence agreement shown by Kakao.
If the setup offers additional third-party software, uncheck or decline it and continue — PotPlayer itself is free and does not need any bundled extra.
Let the installer associate common video and audio formats, then launch PotPlayer and open a file to confirm playback and hardware acceleration are working.
In Preferences, set your subtitle font and folder, and leave the D3D11 video renderer and WASAPI audio defaults from the 261021 build unless a specific file misbehaves.
Related Windows PC Software & Alternatives
Frequently Asked Questions & Verification Guide
Is PotPlayer for Windows PC free?
Yes. PotPlayer for Windows PC is freeware, so it is free to download and use at no cost. It is proprietary software from Kakao rather than open source, so its source code is not publicly available.
Can PotPlayer play DVDs?
Yes. PotPlayer plays DVD and Blu-ray discs and their folder/ISO equivalents, including menus in most cases, though commercial-disc copy protection rules depend on your local laws and the disc itself.
What video formats are supported by PotPlayer?
Almost everything in normal use — AVI, MP4, MKV, MPEG, ASF, WMV, MTS, DivX and AMV video, plus MP3, WAV, FLAC, OGG, M4A, AAC and RA audio — because the codecs are built in. Anything exotic can usually be added through its OpenCodec system.
Is it possible to have PotPlayer always look in a specific directory for subtitle files for the video I am playing?
Mostly. Preferences > Subtitles lets you add custom subtitle storage locations, and PotPlayer will search those folders when you use its subtitle browser or auto-search. Automatic loading still works most reliably when the subtitle shares the video's file name, so keep matching names where you can.
Can PotPlayer edit subtitles?
Not really. PotPlayer can search for and download SRT, ASS and other subtitle files, shift their timing and restyle how they are displayed, but it is not a subtitle editor — creating or rewriting subtitle text needs a dedicated tool such as Subtitle Edit.
Is PotPlayer a screen recorder?
No. PotPlayer can record from sources it plays — a webcam, analogue or digital TV input, or a stream — and save the result as a video file, but it does not capture your Windows desktop; use a dedicated recorder for that.