Frequently Asked Questions
Busiest Days of the Week
Are there any age restrictions?
Yes. Everyone playing at The CTRL Pad must lawfully abide by the PEGI Ratings assigned to all games (even with the permission of a parental guardian). Staff may ask guests to prove their age if they wish to play 16+ or 18+ games.
Additionally, children under the age of 13 years old MAY be required to have an adult present. For the safety and wellbeing of the minor, staff reserve the right to refuse game time.
Do I have to book ahead of time?
Walk-in players are always very welcome, and usually have plenty of free game stations to choose from. If you’re coming in on a Saturday (especially on a home Newcastle game day or during school holidays), you may want to consider shooting us a message to reserve your spots just in case.
Do I have to pay for time to come in?
Not at all! We also have our cafe, and we love to see guests come in just for a coffee and a rest.
Do you have takeaway food and drink?
Yep! And our drinks are permitted in Cineworld on the Second Floor.
Can I install games?
Guests are permitted to install games only with explicit permission from a staff member for that specific game and device. Installation is easiest to allow on PC with Free to Play games. If an installation is initiated without staff approval, the files will be deleted and the guest may be restricted from playing depending on the nature of the installation.
Do you do gift vouchers?
Yes. We can sell physical gift vouchers that must be picked up at our location. If you are buying the voucher as a gift from out of town, we can take payment over the phone or via bank transfer and leave the voucher at our front desk under the recipient’s name.
Is there parking available?
As we are located on the First Floor of The Gate, our guests will find The Gate’s Parking Garage very convenient. The entrance is located on Stowell Street.
On the weekends and holidays, Stowell Street may get backed up. We recommend planning in extra time to get parked or park in one of the surface street lots dotted around St. James’s Park / Leazes Park area and walking in.
Do you offer any permanent discounts?
Yes, with proper identification, the following discounts are offered on game time of an hour or more.
Blue Light and NHS carers – 20%
University students – 10%
Northumbria Uni. eSports and CVGS members – 25%
The Gate staff – 20%
Is your store wheelchair accessible? Do you have any disability-friendly gaming equipment?
Our shop is fully wheelchair accessible, and staff are easily able to shift the seating in front of any station to allow for better access. The only exception would be the racing wheels, as they are mounted to steel frames low to the ground. While we do not currently have any adapted equipment, we are eager to make our consoles and PCs comfortable for every gamer to use. Please send us an email or social media message regarding what accomodations you might be needing, and we will figure out what to do.
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