Image Credits: XDA Developers
Already this week, rumours surfaced that the Game Optimizing Service (GOS) on some Samsung devices was restricting the performance of some games and applications in order to improve battery life management. According to Samsung, a software update is on the way that will make this an optional setting.
According to The Verge, the update will allow device users to select whether or not they want the slowdown to occur. According to Samsung, it is intended in part to limit performance in order to keep phone temperatures down.
“We appreciate the input we receive regarding our products, and after careful study, we expect to provide a software update shortly so consumers may regulate performance when using game applications,” said Samsung spokesperson Kelly Yeo.
Throttling issues with Samsung Galaxy Smartphones
Image Credits: GSM Arena
Whereas the original allegation claimed that non-gaming applications like Netflix and Instagram were also being throttled – with up to 10,000 apps impacted in total – Samsung insists that GOS exclusively optimizes game performance, as the name implies.
To add to the debate, popular Android benchmarking applications are not supported by GOS, which means that Samsung phones with the software installed are likely to report results that do not correspond to actual gaming performance.
Geekbench has chosen to remove benchmarking results from phones in the Galaxy S22, Galaxy S21, Galaxy S20, and Galaxy S10 series as a result. We’ll have to wait and see whether these scores are ever restored.
Conclusion:
Samsung has recently confessed that its Game Optimizing Service does “control the performance” of games in order to minimize overheating as well as sustain battery health – and it isn’t the first phone manufacturer to be detected doing so.
Two very different Apple and OnePlus previously admitted to throttling speed on their devices in the past, and the reasons are the same: the notion is that by forcing applications and games to run a little slower, the battery and other internal components will survive longer.
It’s a valid explanation, but consumers should be informed about these tactics and trade-offs upfront, especially before they spend a significant amount of money on a phone. At the absolute least, we should be able to choose between greater frame rates and long battery life.
It appears that Samsung will soon provide such an option to its customers. It’s unclear which devices GOS runs on, but given that Geekbench has delisted scores for the previous four years’ worth of Samsung flagship phones, it’s safe to conclude that the vast majority of them are affected.
