Samsung Electronics is embroiled in a legal dispute over allegations that it failed to disclose a game optimization service (GOS) that could limit the performance of devices in the Galaxy S22 series. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jun. 21 (Korea Bizwire) – Samsung Electronics is embroiled in a legal dispute over allegations that it failed to disclose a game optimization service (GOS) that could limit the performance of devices in the Galaxy S22 series.
On June 20, the Seoul Central District Court held the first hearing in a damages lawsuit filed by 1,882 consumers against Samsung Electronics over the GOS issue.
The plaintiffs argued that Samsung used phrases like “the fastest” and “powerful” in advertisements for its smartphones, leading consumers to believe the devices would perform optimally in high-demand environments requiring high specifications.
“From the consumer’s perspective, we trusted that the high specifications advertised would be provided,” the plaintiffs stated. They contended that the existence of GOS, which could impact performance, was not disclosed during the sales stage, and that “important information should have been provided to consumers before purchase.”
Samsung Electronics countered that GOS is only applied when running games and has limited scope, affecting only some high-specification apps. “GOS cannot be considered a major factor in the purchase decision,” the company argued.
The tech giant further claimed that users were adequately informed that performance would be limited during game execution to optimize gameplay, and that it is common knowledge that smartphones incorporate temperature control functions.
The GOS feature adjusts GPU (graphics processing unit) performance by lowering screen resolution and artificially reducing performance to reduce computational load and prevent overheating when running games or other high-performance applications.
In 2022, Samsung made GOS a mandatory feature in the Galaxy S22 series, unlike previous models, and prevented users from uninstalling it.
Consumers filed the lawsuit in March 2022, alleging they suffered damages because Samsung failed to disclose that GOS could degrade device performance.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
