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Cornell University

Housing & Residential Life

Esports Gaming Lounge

Starting on July 25, the Esports Gaming Lounge will be open for limited summer hours on Fridays and Saturdays from 5:00-10:00pm!

The Esports Gaming Lounge is the hub for collegiate esports teams and recreational gaming on Cornell University's campus! Located on the second floor of Robert Purcell Community Center, the lounge features 13 gaming PCs and 3 TVs for gaming on consoles.

The gaming lounge is free to use and available for all current Cornell University students!

Playing on PC

PCs are available for drop-in play in the lounge and can be reserved in advance through Cornell University's ggCircuit website.

PC Specs

  • Alienware Aurora R13
  • NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Graphics Card
  • Intel Core i7 12700KF Processor
  • Alienware Low Profile RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard (AW510K)
  • Alienware Gaming Mouse (AW610M)
  • Alienware 27 Inch, 240Hz Gaming Monitor (AW2720HF)

Getting Started on PC

  1. Log into the ggLeap software on the PC using your Cornell NetID credentials.
  2. Select a game you would like to play from a variety of pre-installed and updated titles, or open a digital distribution service app (Steam, Epic Games, etc) to download and install another title you own.
  3. When launching a game, you will be prompted to log in using the digital distribution service for that game. If you do not already have a personal account with the service, follow the prompts to create one.
  4. Enjoy!

Note: Changes made to the PCs are only temporary. Games that are installed, settings that are changed, and save games that are not stored in the cloud are all deleted after the PC restarts.

Reserving a PC

Students can make individual PC reservations through the Cornell University ggCircuit website. Reservations are not required to use our PCs, and drop-in players are encouraged.

  • PC reservations may not exceed 3 hours without prior approval from gaming lounge staff. Longer reservations will be shortened. This limit only applies to reservations and is not a play time cap.
  • Reservations are designed for a single session. Leaving a PC unattended for more than 10 minutes may forfeit your remaining reservation time.
  • Users can modify or cancel their own PC reservations by logging into the user portal on this page and selecting, "upcoming bookings." It is not necessary to email us to cancel or change your upcoming reservation.
  • Cornell's collegiate esports teams receive priority reservation access. Individual PC reservations are not guaranteed and may be moved, shortened, or cancelled to allow teams to compete.
  • Players must log into the PC using their unique reservation code within 10 minutes of the start time or the PC will automatically end the reservation and be released for other students to use.
  • Multiple PCs should only be reserved when there are multiple students wanting to play together. If you reserve for a group and learn some players can no longer join, please modify your reservation to reduce the number of reserved PCs.

PC Accessories and Games

Players are welcome to bring their own equipment to use on PCs in the lounge. USB and Bluetooth devices are supported by the PCs as well as traditional headsets that use a 3.5mm aux jack (available under the PC monitor). Please note that lounge PCs do not have speakers; players are encouraged to bring their own headphones, but we do also have headphones available to borrow.

All PC games still require a license through a digital distributor to play, but many of the best experiences are free to play titles. A selection of the most popular games is already installed on Cornell's servers, and users may download and install their own games as well. A full list of the pre-installed PC games is available through the Cornell University ggCircuit website.

Playing on Console

The lounge features 3 televisions, each equipped with a PlayStation 5 console and either a Nintendo Switch or a Nintendo Switch 2 dock. Students may borrow controllers, games, and Nintendo Switch or Switch 2 consoles from a staff member in the lounge. Staff can also assist you with getting your game started and connecting controllers for you and friends.

Note: Borrowed equipment and games may not leave the lounge and are the responsibility of the student who borrowed the items.

Available Console Games

All games available to borrow in the lounge feature couch multiplayer for two or more players!

Sample selection of available games: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Mario Kart 8, EA FC25, Madden NFL 25, It Takes Two, Cuphead, Goat Simulator 3, Mortal Kombat 1, Street Fighter 6, Tetris Effect, and many more!

User Guidelines

Use of the Esports Gaming Lounge is a privilege, and all players are expected to follow some general guidelines to help us ensure a safe and inclusive environment and that the  equipment is able to be enjoyed by students for many more years. Students who violate the guidelines of the lounge may lose access privileges.

  • Users are expected to act in a courteous and respectful manner while utilizing the lounge, including during online play.
  • No food or drinks are allowed in the lounge.
  • Users are required to follow the instructions of lounge staff and Student Center Support Team staff at all times.
  • Furniture and equipment may not be removed from the lounge. Damage to equipment, furniture, or the space may result in a loss of lounge privileges and/or replacement and repair fees.
  • PC monitor and TV hardware settings should not be changed.

Accessibility Options

The lounge is designed to be a space for all Cornell students to enjoy the experience of playing video games.

  • Certain PC settings for audio, controls, and other options may be modified within the ggLeap software based on needs and preferences.
  • The lounge owns an Xbox Adaptive Controller and a Logitech Adaptive Gaming Kit to provide broader game control options for players.
  • Gaming Ambassador staff are committed to creating an inclusive environment where all players are welcomed.

Players who would like to learn more about the different accessibility options available within each game are encouraged to check out online resources such as the website Can I Play That?, which provides accessibility reviews for games.

Make a Gift

The Esports Gaming Lounge is grateful to all our supporters who help us continue to provide an on-campus space for students to find community through video games. Gifts of any amount go toward maintaining our video game console and PC equipment, purchasing new video games, hosting gaming lounge events, and funding our team of student employees who make operating the lounge possible.

Tax deductible gifts to the lounge can be made online at the Giving to Cornell website. Please visit our Ways to Give page for information about making a gift in support of the gaming lounge.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I install new games on the PCs?

Yes! If a PC game you want to play is not pre-installed, it can be downloaded and installed through digital distribution services such as Steam or the Epic Games Store. Please note, however, that any changes made on the PCs will be lost upon restart, including installed games. If you would like to request a game be permanently installed on our server, please speak with a gaming lounge staff member or email esportslounge@cornell.edu.

 Can my student organization reserve the lounge for an event?

The lounge has expansive weekly hours during the academic year to accommodate PC reservations and drop-in play. In an effort to keep the lounge consistently available to as many students as possible each week, we do not currently offer opportunities for student orgs to reserve the entire space. Orgs interested in using the whole space for a gathering or informal event are encouraged to reserve groups of PCs and schedule the event on Monday-Wednesday afternoons when the lounge has reduced drop-in traffic.

Please be sure to familiarize yourselves with the general lounge policies and operations before planning a gathering in the space. Lounge staff do periodically adjust PC reservations that exceed 3 hours if they are during days/windows when other students would like to use the PCs; please contact us at esportslounge@cornell.edu if you are planning a gathering that will have PC reservations longer than 3 hours.

If your organization is planning a gaming event that the lounge might be interested in co-sponsoring, please reach out to us at esportslounge@cornell.edu!

 Can I bring my own gaming accessories to use in the lounge?

Yes! Players may bring their own mice, headphones, controllers, and other gaming accessories to use in the lounge. If you bring your own equipment, please be respectful when moving aside in-room equipment such as the mice and keyboards. If you bring your own controllers to connect to our consoles, please be considerate about controller pairing to avoid mistaken wireless connections later.

 Can I request mods or emulators to be installed on the PCs?

No. Due to licensing and security restrictions, Cornell does not install unlicensed game mods or emulators on the game server for the lounge.

 How does the PC system work?

Lounge PCs use software called ggLeap to help manage and launch games and other software. The PCs do not have local storage and instead boot from a central game server. This allows for easier daily software updates/fixes so you're able to avoid wait times to get into games. Students are welcome to install new games when using the lounge PCs, but all installed content is lost when the PC restarts (after logging out).

 Can I apply to become a Gaming Ambassador staff member?

Gaming Ambassador staff positions are highly sought positions by Cornell students, and we are unfortunately only able to hire a very limited number of students each semester. Priority is given to students with broad/varied experience with video games on different platforms and students whose availability align with the schedules of other staff members.

Students who are interested in being notified about new openings may add themselves to our staff waitlist form.

 Can I bring my own console games to play in the lounge?

Yes, but please note that the consoles were designed with local cooperative and competitive multiplayer in mind. All of the console games available to borrow in the lounge support 2-8 players locally. Students who bring single-player games to play in the lounge may be asked by staff to allow other students to use the TV for titles that can be played together.

Can alumni or guests play games in the lounge?

At this time, the lounge is only able to accommodate current Cornell University students. Our PCs require active Cornell netid credentials in order to play games, and only current Cornell students are able to borrow games, controllers, and other console equipment to use in the lounge. Current students are only able to log into a single lounge PC at a time and are unable to log into a second PC for guests.

Can lounge PCs be used for AutoCAD or architecture rendering?

No. Lounge PCs are available for gaming-related activities only.