This isn't bloat; it is a feature.
The most common reason users search for "Visual C++ Runtime" is an error message. You launch a program, and a popup declares: “The program can’t start because VCRUNTIME140.dll is missing from your computer.” visual c++ runtimes
Technically, yes. However,
2015, 2017, 2019, and 2022 all use the same runtime (versions 14.x). Microsoft provides a single installer for all of them. This isn't bloat; it is a feature
If you open your Control Panel or Settings app, you might see a long list of entries like: This isn't bloat
Microsoft has consolidated recent runtimes. You can download the "Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2022." This package includes runtimes for 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2022.
