When Soulja Boy (aka DeAndre Cortez Way) pops up in random conversation, as he often does, people tend to remember his one-off hit from way back in 2006, “Crank That.” What usually doesn’t come up in casual conversation is his role in the video game community, unless you’re talking about his review of the 2008 indie-hit Braid (Warning: Explicit Language). Fortunately for the gaming community (and the world), that statement is no longer true. Soulja Boy announced, via Twitter, the release of his own gaming system and handheld device called the SouljaGame Console and the SouljaGame Handheld. While it’s never a bad thing when those outside the industry try to break in with something new and exciting, the new devices are getting called out for being simple, off-brand emulators.
Both systems are being sold on Soulja Boy’s online store, SouljaWatch. The console, regularly priced at $199.99 is discounted to $149.99, and the handheld, regularly $199.99 as well, is on sale for $99.99. While the deals may have some roped in, others are skeptical about the devices. Some sleuthing fans have discovered that the SouljaGame devices, which are advertised on his website as made by ANBERNIC, are strikingly similar to another emulator made by the same company. Seemingly identical devices are being sold on ANBERNIC’s preferred web-store for way less, just without the Soulja brand attached.
The console version boasts a respectable 800 built-in games for the SouljaGame itself, along with PC, PlayStation, and Sega (among others), though which iterations of each are unknown. The handheld version contains a whopping 3,000 built-in games from Switch, 3DS, the Game Boy lineup and more, supposedly.
Curious as to which games are included? You’ll have to purchase the systems to find out, as neither Soulja Boy’s website nor the ANBERNIC store have them listed. Images of the devices also picture screens with recent games, such as Tomb Raider, only adding to the questionable nature of the consoles. While Soulja Boy releasing re-branded emulators is definitely strange, we can only rely on the community to wonder why, and patiently wait for Soulja Boy to tell them.