Rapper Soulja Boy is once again promoting unauthorized rebranded retro handhelds, this time marketing the Retroid Pocket Flip 2 as the 'SouljaGame Flip' at nearly double the original price. The device, spotted in an Instagram post, drew quick backlash for lacking official licensing. Retroid confirmed Soulja Boy has no permission to sell their patented product.
The Promotion and Backlash
DeAndre “Soulja Boy” Cortez, known for his 2007 hit “Crank That (Soulja Boy),” posted on Instagram about the SouljaGame Flip, a handheld emulator device. It appears to be a direct rebrand of the Retroid Pocket Flip 2, originally priced at $210, but sold by Soulja Boy for $435 and shipped from a separate warehouse. Social media users criticized the markup, with one commenting, “Not a single gamer buying this. Especially at that price,” and suggesting alternatives like the Steam Deck, which offers more features for less.
Retro Dodo spotted the post and contacted Retroid, whose representative stated, “I didn’t know about this. 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.” This incident highlights ongoing issues in the growing retro handheld market, where unauthorized resales are more noticeable.
History of Similar Incidents
Soulja Boy has a pattern of rebranding Chinese-made emulation devices. In 2018, he sold units pre-installed with Nintendo ROMs, leading to threats from the company. He claimed on X (formerly Twitter), “I had to boss up, I didn’t have a choice,” after Nintendo warned of legal action. In 2022, he promoted another knockoff Game Boy-style device. Despite past controversies, he returned in 2025 with this latest venture.
Price Adjustment
Following exposure by Retro Game Corps on November 3, 2025, the price dropped from $436 to $200 with free shipping. However, it remains a drop-shipped Retroid product without authorization. One Instagram user noted, “[Soulja Boy] has been rebranding consoles before Xbox did with the ROG Ally X,” pointing to the competitive emulation hardware landscape.