The Recreation & Dining Level at Cesar Chavez Student Center buzzes with activity as passionate gamers descend the stairs to enjoy a wide range of games.

Once inside the Associated Students’ Rack-N-Cue Games Room, country music and current hits can be heard and people are seated in chairs grouped up, watching or engaged on a screen.

The Games Room has over 20 video games, two PlayStation4s & three Nintendo Switches. Available games include Super Smash Bros., Mario Kart, FIFA 22, Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate and more.

It is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday. On Saturday, the Games Room operates from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and is closed on Sunday.

Andrei Corocoto has been a games attendant for the Games Room for the last two years.

A games attendant is responsible for switching out the equipment and taking each person’s ID. They also take out any games people want or equipment they might need.

Corocoto has noticed changes in the Games Room due to the declining student enrollment and believes it’s why students aren’t aware of the Games Room.

“We’re trying to get more and more people down here but found out that we’re losing 30% of our population of SF State now,” Corocoto said. “I also feel the Games Room isn’t that well-known because it’s such an underground part of the campus. No one knows about this place.”

Games attendants track the daily number of visitors. For instance, on a recent Wednesday, there were approximately 64 people all day.

Corocoto said that the more people visit the Games Rooms, the more it shows AS that it’s a wanted space.

“The activity shows that this place is needed and it creates more support for AS to actually give us more funding and care about us.”

Corocoto said the Games Room is the most popular spot on campus for mingling with friends.

“We do have the quad. We got other areas on campus but this place was built for us, so let’s use it.”

To’Shma Ward is a broadcast and electronic communication arts major who enjoys hanging out and playing video games or pool in the Game Room with friends.

“I try to come here whenever I can when I’m not doing anything, I always try to checkpoint this place,” Ward said.

Ward now enjoys playing video games, especially the Nintendo Switch. He never had the chance as a kid because he was performing.

“I was always in talent shows, modeling, all that when I was a kid, so I didn’t get to play video games,” he said. “And now that I got the chance to play it, this is my shit,” Ward said.

Darien Sngoeun, a second-year student, visited the Games Room last Wednesday after learning about it from a friend who frequents the pool area.

“I found out that there’s a gaming area for all the consoles. Now I come here and hang out with friends whenever,” he said.

Even though Sngoeun only visited once, he thinks the options available are sufficient but could improve by adding different genres of PlayStation 4 games.

“They have all consoles, not just a PS4. They have a wide variety of games, but most party games are [more] lenient towards the Nintendo Switch than the PS4. I feel like all the PS4 games are fighting games,” Sngoeun said.

Matthew Wong is a senior and works as a games attendant. Wong has attended the Games Room for years and started working there three months ago.

According to Wong, things at the Games Room have changed since the end of COVID-19. Before the pandemic, there were arcade machines; now one sits near the entrance. On the other hand, more modern consoles are being used.

“Before COVID, we had the arcade machines. While that was cool, I think the consoles are more relevant towards people’s interests today,” he said.

Wong thinks the machines were removed because people prefer playing video games on consoles.

“They’re all coin-operated. People have a more updated sense of what they want to play. Nintendo and PS4 are more interesting than the casual arcade machine,” he said.

Wong remembers that you had to pay to use the arcade machines and believes that’s why they weren’t as successful. The Games Room is free to use.

Playtime in the Games Room is not limited. Wong explained that anyone can play if there is no waitlist, but players are assured an hour of playtime if there is.

One big issue Wong sees is that console games aren’t as up-to-date because the Games Room doesn’t have a strong internet connection.

“We can’t always keep our games up-to-date. We do try our best to make sure that the games are as up-to-date as we can get them. But without a guaranteed internet connection down here, it’s hard to always keep them on the newest update,” he said.

The bad Wi-Fi connection is all due to the Games Room being underground. Wong said the Games Room is currently asking for a better connection.

As a first-year business major, William Chavez uses the arcade room in his free time. While exploring SFSU, Chavez stumbled upon the arcade room.

“I was exploring because It’s my first year. I came down here [Cesar Chavez Student Center] just looking around and eventually stumbled upon it,” he said.

Like most people who frequent the Arcade, Chavez says the lack of a strong Wi-Fi connection is a problem.

“I don’t get any phone calls. I have to go back up (stairs), but I can still use my phone, go on Instagram, or check emails.”

Chavez says the Rack-N-Cue Games Room is a haven where students can play video games and relax during their free time. It’s ideal for those who enjoy gaming and socializing.

“To people who are interested, it is cool because you can get away from school life and do stuff outside school, something to chill, something to relax to,” he said.