Pro Battlestations
from A$26/hrRTX-class GPUs, 240Hz IPS panels, and low-latency wired peripherals on a height-adjustable steel bench. Tuned for CS2, Valorant and Apex.
Collingwood · Melbourne
A warehouse built for high-refresh gaming
PlayJournal is a members-and-drop-in gaming IT club in a converted Cambridge Street loft. Exposed pipework, concrete floors, and 42 battlestations tuned for competitive play — day passes from A$18/hr.
- 42
- Tuned battlestations
- 240Hz
- Match-spec displays
- 11pm
- Weeknight close
The Space
Concrete, cable trays, and cold aisle cooling
We took a 1960s textile warehouse two blocks from Smith Street and left it honest — raw concrete underfoot, galvanised pipework overhead, and stencilled bay numbers on every station. Nothing hidden, everything serviceable.
Behind the exposed racking sits a properly built network: 10 Gbps fibre to the pit, dedicated 1 Gbps per seat, and a cold-aisle layout that keeps rigs quiet under load. Our on-floor techs re-image, re-paste, and re-cable every station on a fortnightly cycle.
It is part club, part editorial desk — PlayJournal started as a Collingwood gaming blog, and the floor is where we still test hardware, film reviews, and run our Thursday ladder nights.
Opening Hours
- Mon – Thu
- 10:00 – 23:00
- Friday
- 10:00 – 01:00
- Saturday
- 09:00 – 01:00
- Sunday
- 09:00 – 22:00
How It Works
From front desk to first match in four steps
No app, no membership required for a day pass. Walk in off Cambridge Street and you are in a lobby in minutes.
- 01
Grab a bay
Book online or walk in. Pick a standard bay (A$18/hr), a pro bay with a 240Hz panel (A$26/hr), or the glassed-in arena for teams of five.
- 02
Log in, load in
Sign in with your PlayJournal ID and your Steam, Battle.net, Riot and Epic libraries mount instantly. Nothing is stored on the machine after you log out.
- 03
Dial in your setup
Swap in your own keeb and headset, or borrow from the gear wall. Techs on the floor sort DPI, refresh, and monitor height so you are match-ready.
- 04
Play, climb, cash out
Queue solo, join Thursday ladder night, or book the arena for a scrim. Pay per hour at the desk — sessions round down to the nearest 15 minutes.
The Floor
Four ways to spend a session
Hover any bay to see what is bolted to the bench. Every price is per person unless noted.
The LAN Arena
A$120/hr for 5A glassed-in room of five matched rigs, a shoutcaster desk and a wall screen. Built for team scrims, coaching blocks and small-bracket tournaments.
Retro Cabinet Row
A$12/hrRestored arcade cabinets and CRT couch-gaming corners — from Street Fighter II to a modded N64 four-pad. Bring three mates and rotate.
The Editorial Loft
A$40/dayA quiet mezzanine of capture-ready desks for streamers and reviewers — dual monitors, a lit corner, and a Cat6 hardline for zero-drop uploads.
Members
What the regulars say
Drop-ins, ladder grinders, and a few teams who treat the arena like a second home.
"Booked the arena for our uni Valorant five every Wednesday for a season. Ping stayed under 8ms the whole run and the techs re-cabled two stations mid-session without us noticing."
Priya R.
Fitzroy, VIC · March 2025
"The retro row is dangerous — I came in for one hour of Tekken and left three hours later. Concrete-and-neon fitout actually looks better in person than on the blog."
Daniel M.
Richmond, VIC · February 2025
"I stream from the editorial loft twice a week. The hardline upload never drops and the lighting is already dialled in, so I stopped hauling my own gear across town."
Aisha K.
Brunswick, VIC · January 2025
"Walked in solo on a Thursday, got put on the ladder, and finished second in a bracket of sixteen. Staff know everyone by name by your second visit."
Tom W.
Collingwood, VIC · April 2025
"Pro bay with the 240Hz panel is the real deal for Apex. A$26 an hour is fair for the spec, and it rounds down to the quarter-hour so I never feel rushed off."
Marcus L.
Carlton, VIC · December 2024
"Brought my nephew for the school holidays. Safe, well-run, and the day pass on a standard bay is genuinely good value at A$18/hr. We are back every break now."
Helen T.
Northcote, VIC · March 2025
The Dispatch
Get the ladder results and drop dates
One email a fortnight: Thursday ladder standings, new hardware on the floor, and first dibs on tournament seats. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Contact
Find us on Cambridge Street
Questions about bookings, tournaments, or the arena? Send a message and the front desk will get back to you within a day.