PICTURED: Inside Stevenage's new three-storey eSports venue

The venue was declared open by the town's mayor, Margaret Notley, at 12noon.

The first of its kind in the UK, the venue contains separate floors for casual gamers, those who are curious about eSports and professional players.

The location also includes a streaming room, virtual reality (VR) suites, classic arcade games and a driving chair.

Classic arcade games are found alongside state-of-the-art equipment. (Image: Pearce Bates)

Coding classes, school trips and birthday parties are also offered at the location, which focusses on the social aspects of gaming.

Speaking to the Comet, Newvu's CEO and co-founder Andrew Bishop commented on the opening: "There’s been a good response.

A number of VR suites are found at the location. (Image: Pearce Bates)

"A lot of people from the council came down, we’ve had some people from local schools and colleges.

"We’ve actually been really welcomed by the local area, which is decent!

Team games such as Captain Cook, which allows players to prepare meals for pirates, can be played. (Image: Pearce Bates)

"Especially with the regeneration, there is obviously a lot going on in the town."

On the venue itself, Andrew explained how the location is a UK-first, and how it is accessible to all who wish to participate: "The UK is slightly behind Europe and the rest of the world on eSports.

Casual gaming areas can be found. (Image: Pearce Bates)

"The site is very unique, it is one-of-a-kind in terms of what it offers.

"The beauty of having three floors has added to what we have.

Newvu has a strong focus on social gaming. (Image: Pearce Bates)

"I think if we were purely eSports, you would end up scaring some people off because they’re not big gamers. So, what we wanted to do was almost have an introduction to gaming.

A range of games for all ages can be played at Newvu. (Image: Pearce Bates)

"The lower floor is for the casual gamer.

"Anybody, even if they’ve never played a console in their life, can walk into there and still have a lot of fun.

Coding classes and school trips are also offered. (Image: Pearce Bates)

"The middle floor is the next step, so it’s a bit more for an eSports player that just dabbles but doesn’t play professionally.

"Then, obviously, the top is a bit more pro-gamer.

Both team and single VR experiences are offered. (Image: Pearce Bates)

"The thought process for us, and a term we use a lot, is ‘social gaming’. It’s all about social gaming for us, taking people away from their bedrooms or wherever they play and bringing them into a much more social environment.

A specific FIFA room is kitted out with football pitch flooring and a PS5. (Image: Pearce Bates)

"They can mingle with people, especially in the days over the last few years when people have been locked-up.

"Mental health is a big issue, and we hope to get people out doing what they love doing in a social environment."

A streaming room is complete with sound-proof walls, a microphone and camera. (Image: Pearce Bates)

With a UK-first coming to the town, Stevenage town centre could be about to welcome a new demographic of visitors, as Andrew continued: "I think gaming and entertainment, in general, is a really nice addition to a town, because the high street is never going to be the same again.

"You’re not going to get those big retail sites that were in high streets and in towns five or six years ago.

An eSports team room is complete with five seats for team members, and one for their coach. (Image: Pearce Bates)

"Post-Covid, they’re not coming back because they can do it all online.

"A lot of towns and cities that we’ve been speaking to are really keen to see something like this in their space, because it brings such a different audience back into the centre.

eSports areas for both professional teams and those willing to have a try are located inside the facility. (Image: Pearce Bates)

"This then benefits the surrounding shops. So, it benefits the restaurants, the bars, the food and drink offerings.

People of all ages and abilities are welcome to try eSports at the location. (Image: Pearce Bates)

"People that are perhaps coming to book into that centre Newvu might not have normally come into the town centre themselves, so you’re getting them into this environment.

"We do serve cold drinks, soft drinks and some snack food options.

Three floors, for different gaming abilities, are located at the venue. (Image: Pearce Bates)

"What we didn’t want to do was take away business from local cafés. So we don’t do coffee, tea or anything like that at all because we saw that as a negative."

Experiences, such as Queen's performance at Live Aid, can be experienced as a group. (Image: Pearce Bates)

Newvu is located at 88 Queensway, in Stevenage Town Centre.

The venue opens its doors to the public on Wednesday, August 24.

A driving chair can be used to play racing games. (Image: Pearce Bates)