Fuze Tomahawk F1
Chinese Android microconsole backed by Keiji Inafune.
The Fuze Tomahawk F1 is a microconsole that runs Android TV and first appeared in 2016. It was created by Fuze Entertainment, a company based in Beijing, China. Outside of China, the system attracted notice because its design resembled the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, and because it had support from well-known game developer Keiji Inafune.
Two versions of the console launched in China on June 1, 2016: the Play model for 899 yuan and the Elite model for 1,499 yuan. The device is also called the Tomahawk F1.
In late 2018, the console gained Western attention when rapper Soulja Boy attempted to sell it as the SouljaGame Fuze. The version he sold was likely the Elite model. He listed it at $639.98, though it probably remained on sale at $399.99—both prices representing a significant markup over the standard Fuze’s then-MSRP of $320. It is unclear whether any SouljaGame Fuze units actually sold, but the media attention around the announcement itself was notable.
The console uses an NVIDIA Tegra K1 system-on-a-chip with four ARM Cortex A15 cores running at 2.2 gigahertz. It has four gigabytes of DDR3 RAM clocked at 933 megahertz. The Play model includes 32 gigabytes of eMMC solid-state storage, while the Elite model has a 500-gigabyte mechanical hard drive.
The Fuze supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. A constant internet connection is required to play games, and the system performs poorly outside of China. The Elite model can wirelessly charge its controllers: charging begins when a controller is placed on top of the console, pressing down two diagonal plates on the upper surface.
The console was designed to run a VR headset, though it is unknown if that headset ever reached the market. The headset was planned to launch at 1,100 RMB in 2016.
The operating system is based on Android, a common choice for microconsoles at the time. Because the console was only officially released in China, the interface is almost entirely in Chinese. The Panda TV streaming service was originally supported, but that third-party service shut down in 2019.
- Release date
- June 1, 2016
- Region
- China
- Play model price
- 899 yuan
- Elite model price
- 1499 yuan
- Soc
- NVIDIA Tegra K1
- Cpu
- Quad ARM Cortex A15 at 2.2 GHz
- Ram
- 4 GB DDR3 at 933 MHz
Lore & Background
The Fuze Tomahawk F1 was released in China on June 1, 2016, in two models: the Play with 32 GB of eMMC storage and the Elite with a 500 GB mechanical hard drive. The console requires a constant internet connection to play games and operates poorly outside of China. Its operating system is based on Android, and the interface is nearly exclusively in Chinese. The Elite model can wirelessly charge controllers when they are placed on top of the console, depressing dual diagonal plates.
In late 2018, the console gained western attention after rapper Soulja Boy attempted to bring it to market as the SouljaGame Fuze, likely the Elite model. The SouljaGame Fuze was listed at $639.98, though it may have spent its entire time on sale for $399.99, representing a significant markup over the non-SouljaGame Fuze MSRP of $320. It is unknown if the SouljaGame Fuze ever sold, but the media frenzy around the announcement was notable.
The console was intended to run a VR headset, though it is unknown if such a headset was ever released; the headset was set to launch at 1,100 RMB in 2016. The Panda TV streaming service was originally supported but was shuttered in 2019.
Reader's Guide
The Fuze Tomahawk F1 occupies a niche in the history of microconsoles as a Chinese-market Android TV device that briefly crossed over into western pop culture through Soulja Boy's attempted rebranding. Its significance lies less in commercial success—its sales outside China are unconfirmed—and more in illustrating the global ambitions of Chinese hardware makers and the role of celebrity endorsement in gaming. The console's reliance on a constant internet connection and poor performance outside China limited its appeal internationally. The backing of Keiji Inafune, a prominent Japanese game developer, lent it credibility that the SouljaGame controversy later overshadowed. The Fuze's use of the NVIDIA Tegra K1, a chip also found in the NVIDIA Shield, placed it in a capable hardware class for its time, though its Android-based OS and Chinese-language interface restricted its ecosystem. The attempted VR headset, never confirmed released, hints at broader ambitions that were not realized. The SouljaGame episode, while likely resulting in few or no sales, generated significant media coverage and remains a curious footnote in console history, demonstrating how a relatively obscure device can gain notoriety through unconventional marketing.
Did You Know?
- The Fuze Tomahawk F1 was backed by noted game developer Keiji Inafune.
- The Elite model can wirelessly charge controllers when placed on top of the console.
- Rapper Soulja Boy attempted to sell the console as the SouljaGame Fuze in late 2018.
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