Samsung has been mandated by Seoul’s High Court to compensate users of its Galaxy S22 series for deliberately throttling gaming performance through the built-in Game Optimizing Service (GOS). The ruling concludes a long dispute that started in early 2022 when owners noticed their phones’ CPU and GPU speeds were artificially capped across more than 1,000 apps to prevent overheating, without an option to disable the feature.
The controversy deepened when users discovered that GOS did not throttle performance in popular benchmark apps, sparking allegations that Samsung misled customers into believing their phones would perform consistently across all applications. This disparity fueled a class-action lawsuit filed by 1,882 Galaxy S22 owners in South Korea, claiming deceptive advertising and unfair practices.
Initial court proceedings acknowledged Samsung’s advertising was misleading but stopped short of awarding compensation. However, after continued appeals and failed mediation attempts, the court’s December 2025 verdict reversed that stance, requiring Samsung to pay reparations. Although plaintiffs originally sought around 300,000 won (approximately $200) per user, the final payout amount remains undisclosed.
Samsung’s use of GOS to restrict performance in real-world gaming, while exempting benchmark tests, is a reminder of how manufacturers sometimes manipulate performance metrics. For consumers, the case highlights the importance of transparency in device marketing. It also signals growing judicial willingness in South Korea to hold tech giants accountable for such practices, potentially affecting how future smartphone performance management systems are disclosed.