WORLDTECHSamsung fined about $15.1 million over throttled Galaxy gaming performance
South Korea's Fair Trade Commission has ordered Samsung Electronics to pay 20.1 billion won, roughly $15.1 million, after finding that its Galaxy flagships were throttled during demanding games despite marketing that promised peak gaming performance. The regulator's decision concerns devices in the Galaxy S22, Galaxy S21 and Galaxy Tab S8 series.
What the regulator found
The Korean Fair Trade Commission, known as KFTC, has found that Samsung engaged in deceptive marketing for these devices. The company described them as delivering the ultimate mobile gaming experience, but according to the regulator the software carried a Game Optimization Service, or GOS, that limits performance during play.
The GOS service automatically throttles the central processor and the graphics chip on the affected phones and tablets when demanding games are running. Gamers therefore did not receive the experience the brand had promised.
Samsung's defence and the backlash
Samsung argues that GOS is a safety feature that keeps gameplay stable during long sessions. According to the Seoul Economic Daily, the company stresses that no court has found consumers were harmed by the advertising.
The issue drew widespread consumer criticism. In March 2022 Samsung released an update that allows users to disable GOS completely.
Open questions
- Will Samsung appeal the KFTC's decision, and on what grounds?