Media Player

Audio and video

Press A on an audio or video file to open the player. Local folders and direct SMB shares are supported. Extract media from an archive before playing it. Closing the player stops playback.

Controls

Button	Action
A on the picture or cover	Play / pause
Left / right on the picture or cover	Seek backward / forward 10 seconds
L1 / R1	Previous / next audio file or video in this folder
X	Stop and return to the beginning
Y for video	Enter / leave fullscreen
R3	Switch between playback and toolbar controls
B	Leave fullscreen, or close the player

The toolbar provides the same actions. On the toolbar, directions navigate its buttons. A mouse can also click the progress bar to seek. Audio and video use separate playlists in the folder's displayed order.

Audio shows its embedded cover when available, with a speaker icon otherwise. The player does not search online for artwork.

Formats and compatibility

Audio: MP3/MP2, WAV, FLAC, Ogg/Vorbis, Opus, M4A/M4B, AAC and WebM audio.
Video: MP4/M4V, MOV, WebM, OGV and MKV.

The actual codecs inside a file matter as well as its extension. Steam plays supported codecs directly. When decoding fails, FileExplorer can use the system's FFmpeg for compatibility playback without changing the original file. Video is converted while playing, up to 720p and 30 fps; this uses CPU time and seeking may briefly buffer. If FFmpeg or the required decoder is unavailable, the player shows an error and still lets you move to the next file.

The window fits handhelds and uses the selected interface scale. Choose Settings → Controller legend for hints on the panel, Steam bar, both or neither.