Samsung fined $15 million for Galaxy S21 and S22's poor gaming performance

TL;DR

South Korea fined Samsung KRW 20 billion, about $15.1 million, for misleading buyers about gaming performance on the Galaxy S21, S22, and Tab S8.

The FTC said Samsung hid that its Game Optimizing Service throttled CPU and GPU speeds during demanding games, causing lag, freezes, and lower graphics quality.

Samsung plans to appeal, saying GOS was a safety feature and that a March 2022 update let users bypass its limits.

Samsung has been fined KRW 20 billion (around $15.1 million) for misleading customers regarding the gaming performance of the Galaxy S21 series, Galaxy S22 series, and Galaxy Tab S8 series.

The company failed to disclose that its Game Optimizing Service (GOS) automatically throttles the CPU and GPU performance on those devices when playing graphically intensive games.

South Korea's Fair Trade Commission (FTC) decided to impose this fine on Samsung Electronics for using marketing phrases like “the ultimate mobile gaming experience” without disclosing preset performance caps. Specifically, the maximum performance of the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S22, and Galaxy Tab S8 devices is limited after a certain period, at which point GOS automatically reduces CPU and GPU speeds to maintain safe temperatures, thereby reducing overall gaming performance.

This reduction in performance led to freezes, lag, and lowered graphics quality while playing demanding games. The FTC stated that Samsung engaged in deceptive advertising by hiding these preset limits, which hindered consumers from making informed purchasing decisions.

Samsung, however, plans to challenge this fine through appeals. The company defended GOS as a safety feature designed to optimize performance and ensure stable gameplay during extended gaming sessions. It also pointed out that a software update released in March 2022 offered a feature allowing users to bypass the GOS limits.

The South Korean firm further argued that previous domestic and international lawsuits regarding the GOS controversy have already been concluded or withdrawn. The company stated, “We will actively present and defend our position through legal procedures going forward.“

Asif Iqbal Shaik - Senior Editor

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First Samsung device: T100

Asif is a computer engineer turned technology journalist. He has been using Samsung phones since 2004, and his current smartphone is the Galaxy S23 Ultra. He loves headphones, mechanical keyboards, and PC hardware. When not writing about technology, he likes watching crime and science fiction movies and TV shows.

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Samsung fined $15 million for Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S22's poor gaming performance

TL;DR

Samsung fined for deceptive marketing related to Galaxy S21, S22, and Tab S8 gaming performance

Asif Iqbal Shaik - Senior Editor