The recently-released Microsoft Flight Simulator has been played by more than one million people.

That's according to publisher Microsoft, who said in a blog post that the title has seen the biggest launch for a new PC launch for its Xbox Game Pass subscription service.

Microsoft Flight Simulator was released on August 18th. Since then, players have flown more than 26m flights and covered a huge 1bn virtual miles.

"In each of those billion miles, we’ve been delighted to see the flight simulation community enjoy the simulator and help improve the experience through their ongoing feedback, while also welcoming and training new simulation pilots," head of Microsoft Flight Simulator Jorg Neumann said.

"Launch marks the beginning of a journey for us and this is just the start. There is plenty more to come on our flight itinerary including world updates, sim updates, and future themed DLC. Microsoft Flight Simulator is the ticket for anyone who has ever dreamt of flying or exploring the world. The sky is calling."

Following its release, Microsoft Flight Simulator shot to second place in the Steam Top Ten. Research firm Jon Peddie reckons that the title will drive $2.6bn in PC hardware sales.