Gaming firm accuses Soulja Boy of reselling its handheld console under new name

Rapper Soulja Boy is facing renewed controversy after being accused by gaming company Retroid of rebranding and selling one of its handheld consoles without permission.

The issue arose following Soulja Boy’s announcement of his latest gaming device, the SouljaGame Flip, promoted as a portable console designed for “gaming enthusiasts who crave high-quality performance on the go.”

Priced initially at $436 and now reduced to $200, the console claims to offer a “robust library of retro and modern games” and even access to social media platforms such as TikTok.

However, fans of emulation hardware quickly noticed striking similarities between the SouljaGame Flip and Retroid’s existing model, the Retroid Pocket Flip 2. Observers pointed out that promotional images on Soulja Boy’s website appeared identical to those used by Retroid for its own product.

In a statement to gaming outlet Retrodo, Retroid denied any partnership with the rapper. “I didn’t know about this,” the company said.

“This is not any kind of official licensing deal. He does not have permission to rebrand our products and sell them as his own. The Retroid Pocket Flip 2 is patented in the U.S. by ourselves.”

Soulja Boy has not publicly addressed the accusation. His website continues to advertise the console alongside other products, including a pair of $64 smart glasses resembling Ray-Ban’s Meta Smart AI model.

The controversy marks the latest in a series of attempts by Soulja Boy to enter the gaming hardware market since his first console venture in 2018, which was shut down after alleged copyright concerns.