eSports Lounge Acquires Nintendo Switch 2, Arcade Machines

By James Oatis

Published February 22, 2026

One of the more recent additions to the Plymouth State campus is the E-Sports lounge, which opened in the Fall of 2022. Located in the HUB, the facility contains gaming consoles, computers, and other amenities. The center is operated by the Plymouth State E-Sports club, which organizes events in the space and competes in competitive games such as League of Legends and Valorant. 

The center has been a mainstay on campus for some three years, and it continues to evolve. In the Fall semester, the center added Arcade1Up cabinets. Arcade1Up is a company that manufactures retro arcade machines that seek to replicate the look and feel of vintage machines from the 1980s and 1990s, typically priced anywhere between $400 and $700. There are three cabinets in the Esports lounge: Marvel vs. Capcom 2, Ms. Pac Man, and NBA Jam. “Parents love them at open houses,” said E-Sports president Val Kilby.

Just this month, on February 5th, the E-Sports lounge added the Nintendo Switch 2 to their catalog. The $450 console first launched on June 5th 2025, but Kilby said the E-Sports Lounge held off on purchasing it due to the initial lack of multiplayer games outside of the launch title, Mario Kart World. What convinced Kilby, and other club members, to purchase the Switch 2 was the release of Kirby Air Riders, a multiplayer racing game starring the pink Nintendo mascot, Kirby. “It’s a fun game, especially in multiplayer,” Kilby said. 

The new Switch 2, arcade cabinets, and other eSports lounge amenities can be accessed by any PSU student with an ID card.