South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission on Tuesday fined Samsung Electronics KRW 20 billion (about $15.1 million) after ruling the company misled consumers about the gaming performance of several Galaxy devices by not disclosing preset performance limits in its Game Optimizing Service.
FTC finds undisclosed throttling during intensive play
The commission said Samsung used promotional language including “the ultimate mobile gaming experience” while failing to inform buyers that the Game Optimizing Service, or GOS, automatically reduces CPU and GPU speeds after sustained use of graphically demanding games. The FTC found that the throttling could cause freezes, input lag and lower visual quality during play, preventing consumers from making fully informed purchasing decisions.
- Affected hardware named by the commission includes the Galaxy S21 series, Galaxy S22 series and the Galaxy Tab S8 series.
- The FTC assessed a penalty of KRW 20 billion, about $15.1 million using the figure reported by the company.
- The decision cites Samsung’s promotional claims and the absence of clear disclosure about GOS performance limits.
Samsung response and March 2022 update
Samsung defended GOS as a safety and stability feature intended to manage temperatures and deliver steady long sessions rather than sustained peak performance. The company also noted a software update in March 2022 that introduced an option allowing users to bypass GOS limits.
“We will actively present and defend our position through legal procedures going forward.” Samsung Electronics said.
Samsung said previous legal actions and complaints related to GOS have been settled or withdrawn in other jurisdictions, and the company intends to appeal the FTC’s fine.
What the commission highlighted
The commission’s ruling centers on advertising and consumer information rather than on the technical merits of thermal management. It concluded the omission of preset performance caps was deceptive because it affected the product experience that buyers reasonably expected based on Samsung’s marketing.
The ruling does not change the technical behavior of GOS; it is a regulatory finding and a monetary penalty. Samsung’s appeal was announced immediately after the decision was reported.
The commission’s action is likely to be closely watched by mobile gamers and by regulators in other markets, given the prominence of the devices and the role of software-level performance management in smartphones and tablets.
