Soulja Boy Is Selling His Own Game Consoles That Aren't Really His

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In a bizarre announcement from the last person anyone could've expected, Soulja Boy is now selling self-branded game consoles - or, to be more accurate, he's reselling cheap emulators that aren't really his at a significant markup. Yes, this isn't a joke, the Atlanta-based rapper responsible for the 2007 hip-hop hit "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" is now moving into the game hardware business, and for a less than nominal fee, gamers everywhere can become the proud new owner of both the SouljaGame Handheld and SouljaGame Classic.

Each of these consoles can be found on Soulja Boy's new online storefront, and they really aren't much different from the knockoff emulators found at seedy mall kiosks. The site claims that the SouljaGame Handheld comes pre-loaded with 3,000 unlisted games from the libraries of other official handhelds, including Nintendo's Switch, 3DS, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance, Sony's PS Vita, and even SNK's Neo Geo. Meanwhile, the SouljaGame Classic is alleged to have a smaller (and similarly unlisted) library of 800 games ripped from the NES, original PlayStation, PC, Game Boy Advance, Neo Geo, and various Sega consoles. And it's no exaggeration to use the word "ripped" in this context, as there's little doubt that the ROMs these emulators play are unlicensed.

Soulja Boy took to Twitter to announce the emulators, and each emulator is regularly priced at $200. (At the time of writing, however, the SouljaGame Handheld and SouljaGame Classic are each on "sale" for $100 and $150, respectively.) If it weren't enough that the rapper's emulators are cheaply made and are loaded with pirated content, consoles virtually identical to Soulja Boy's are sold directly at much lower prices elsewhere online. In addition to his marked-up emulators, Soulja Boy simultaneously launched an entire line of self-branded knockoff products, including a SouljaWatch, SouljaPad, and even a SouljaPhone.

In all fairness, Soulja Boy is not the only one to try to make a buck off of others' products online, and he certainly isn't the first celebrity that has opted to cash in on their impermanent fame when given the opportunity to do so. However, the brash, outlandish nature of Soulja Boy's sudden foray into electronics sales has cast a spotlight on the venture, and he's been catching a lot of flak from the gaming community since the announcement.

Additionally, it's fairly likely that (at least most of) Soulja Boy's SouljaGame consoles are functioning emulators, although their quality and durability are worthy of skepticism. That said, if one's in the market for a pair of overpriced emulators that likely run unlicensed ROMs, the SouljaGame console family may be for them, provided things like product quality, post-purchase customer service, and violating copyright law aren't concerns.