Windows Media Center will not be available at all in the next Windows 10 version of the operating system, Microsoft has officially confirmed.

More than a decade ago, Windows Media Center made its official debut in the Windows XP Media Center. Since then, it has offered users an optional, alternative interface usable with a TV-like remote control from roughly 10 feet away.

It may not have appealed to the masses to the extent Microsoft likely wanted it to, but over the years Windows Media Center has nonetheless won over some loyal users who were hoping to see it in Windows 10 as well.

In Windows 8, for instance, Windows Media Center was not included in the core operating system, but was still available as an extra functionality for $10. The next-generation Windows 10, however, will no longer offer Windows Media Center at all. This means that not only will the Media Center be absent from the core operating system, but it will not be available as a paid upgrade either. Those who upgrade a PC from an earlier version of the OS to the latest Windows 10 will lose Windows Media Center on the spot.

"In a private meeting this week at the Build developers' conference in San Francisco, a Microsoft executive confirmed to me that there will be no update to the company's Media Center software for Windows 10," ZDNet's Ed Bott reported.

While this decision may come as bad news for some Media Center diehard fans, it's not all that surprising. Microsoft put an end to Media Center development back in 2009, as home theater PCs and media center extenders were already losing significant ground to standalone Internet media devices.

In 2015, plenty of other alternatives now allow users to turn their TV into an Internet media center, which further questions the necessity for a Windows Media Center. Gadgets such as Roku, Google's Chromecast, Amazon's Fire TV and TV Stick, Apple TV, and others retail at affordable prices, and can offer a better experience compared to the outdated Windows Media Center, so it makes sense for Microsoft to let go of this option.

In conclusion, Windows Media Center fans might want to think twice before upgrading to the latest version of Windows. If you don't want to let go of Media Center, the older Windows 7 may be your best option.