The next release of plyr-react delivers enhanced Next.js compatibility, resolving SSR hydration and CSS loading issues. Build size has been reduced via peerDependencies and a tsdown build pipeline, improving efficiency and install footprint. Support for Node.js <20 LTS is discontinued, aligning with modern runtime standards and security best practices.

We are pleased to announce the availability of the next release of plyr-react, incorporating substantial improvements for Next.js compatibility and client‐side rendering. This release addresses previously reported issues in Server‐Side Rendering (SSR) environments, including hydration mismatches and inconsistent CSS asset loading. These changes ensure more predictable rendering behavior and a streamlined integration process for modern Next.js applications.

In addition to functional enhancements, this release introduces build and dependency optimizations. Certain packages have been moved to peerDependencies, reducing the installed package size and preventing unnecessary duplication in consuming projects. The build process has been migrated to tsdown, resulting in a smaller, more efficient output and improved compatibility with modern bundlers. These optimizations contribute to faster installation times, reduced bundle sizes, and improved runtime performance.

To install the next release, update your package.json as follows:

"plyr-react": "next"

This branch has been validated against multiple scenarios in the nextjs-fix example project, including multiple concurrent player instances, dynamic imports with ssr: false, and correct asset loading. All tests have passed in controlled environments; however, broader adoption and feedback from production use cases are essential to confirm stability across diverse configurations.

Deprecation Notice: Beginning with this release, Node.js versions earlier than 20 LTS are no longer supported. This change aligns with the current Active LTS schedule and enables the use of modern JavaScript runtime features, improved performance characteristics, and the latest security updates without maintaining legacy compatibility layers. Users are advised to upgrade their Node.js environment prior to adoption.

We invite the community to evaluate this release in real‐world projects and provide feedback on performance, compatibility, and any edge cases encountered. Your input will directly inform the final adjustments before this version is promoted to stable, ensuring that plyr-react remains a lightweight, reliable, and easily integrable media player solution for the Next.js ecosystem.