The Belong-branded gaming zone at Game’s Soho store is the seventh to be installed. 

Game chief executive Martyn Gibbs said that more venues will open over the coming months with the locations to be unveiled early next year.

The dedicated floor underneath its Wardour Street store is currently the jewel of Game’s experience zones, and marks the next stage of the retailer’s move into events and esports. 

Game, which reported an 84% slump in profits at its full year, has edged into the esports space following the blow to trading wrought by the volatile console cycle and the proliferation of digital downloads.

Game Soho VR

Virtual reality booth in Game, Soho

Pay-to-play virtual reality gaming

The dedicated pay-to-play zones, aimed at bringing gamers together, are open throughout the day and will play host to themed nights, tournaments and tech launches.

The zones boast PC gaming rigs and a host of consoles and virtual reality booths with snacks and refreshments available for purchase.

Gibbs said the business’s expansion into the “fast-growing world of esports” was a key part of its strategy.

He said: “Almost half the population plays video games and three million of us compete online. Our ambition has been to bring some of the best elements of Multiplay’s Insomnia festival into our stores.

“From the four Belong zones that have launched since July we have amassed thousands of hours of gameplay with 20% of players being new to Game.

“Our Game community and Belong is now at the heart of this strategy as we seek to combine multichannel retail, events and esports.”

Gaming arenas are currently open at existing Game stores in Milton Keynes, Manchester’s Trafford Centre, Bristol Cribb’s Causeway, Hull, Portsmouth and Gateshead.

Gibbs told Retail Week he was confident the arenas would support the business’s retail sales.

The Belong brand has been formed between the Game group and Multiplay, which the retailer acquired last year.

It also owns Insomnia, the UK’s largest gaming festival, and has a total of 580 bricks-and-mortar stores.