Retroid released a statement after American rapper Soulja Boy was accused of selling handheld consoles that appear to be rebranded versions of the company's products. This isn't the first time Soulja Boy has been accused of branding and reselling controversial gaming products.
In 2018, Soulja Boy had to withdraw his game consoles after the threat of legal action from Nintendo. Some of the products it released seemingly included Nintendo emulators that ran the company's classic titles without permission. In 2021, he attempted to re-enter the game console market, allegedly white-labeling the original Retroid Pocket and selling it under his own brand. Now in 2025, Soulja Boy is back promoting a new handheld console that looks a lot like other Retroid products.
Retroid invites Soulja Boy to rebrand and sell their handhelds
In an interview with Retro Dodo's Brandon Saltalamacchio, a Retroid official confirmed that Soulja Boy is not legally allowed to rebrand the company's products. “He does not have permission to rebrand our products and sell them as his own,” the retro handheld console maker said in a statement. He also notes that the Pocket Flip 2 is patented by Retroid in the US. The allegedly cloned handheld, renamed the SouljaGame Flip, is listed on the rapper's official website for around $200, although reports suggest the original price was over $400.
A comparison between the SouljaGame Flip and the Retroid Pocket Flip 2 reveals striking similarities, with both handhelds offering nearly identical specifications. It's also worth noting that there has been no official statement from Soulja Boy yet.
According to Retro Dodo, the American rapper also cloned another popular Retroid handheld console, the Retroid Pocket 4. However, this product has likely been removed as it no longer appears on Soulja Boy's official website. However, the remaining images of the alleged clone show a clear resemblance to the original, making it difficult to tell the two apart.
Soulja Boy has reportedly found financial success with his gaming consoles. In 2018, he claimed that his SouljaGame consoles sold over five million units despite their high prices. It remains to be seen if its new controversial product, the SouljaGame Flip, can achieve the same level of success, or even if the previously reported sales number is accurate. It will also be interesting to see how Retroid handles the situation.
