With just two months to go before the release of Windows 10, the operating system's predecessor has finally eclipsed the age-old Windows XP, Digital Spy reports.

Microsoft's Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 now hold a combined market share of 16.4%, compared to the XP's 14.6%, according to figures from Net Applications.

May's statistics indicate that Windows XP is still the second most-used operating system in the world, with Windows 8.1 alone accounting for 12.8% of all users.

Windows 7 remains the world's most popular operating system with a 57.7% share of the market, a figure Microsoft is aiming to turn into Windows 10 installs at the end of next month when it rolls out its new operating system as a free upgrade.

Apple's Mac OS X version 10.10 came in fourth place, ending the month with a 4.2% market share.

Microsoft today (June 1) announced that Windows 10 will be released on July 29 as a free update for users on Windows 7, 8 and 8.1. It will launch for Windows Phone devices at a later date.