Is Samsung Galaxy Game Optimizing Service (GOS) a good feature? What is the problem?
Description of Game Optimizing Service (GOS) functionality
Game Optimizing Service (GOS) is a system application that controls the resolution and throttling characteristics of applications classified as games, and is intended to reduce device heat and use batteries efficiently by adjusting the resolution, screen brightness, texture quality, CPU and GPU performance. However, setting all options to maximum does not mean that they are set as they appear, and even if they are maximum options, they are constrained to not be full options, showing low performance and options.
Since when does Game Optimizing Service (GOS) exist?
GOS itself has existed since the 2016 Galaxy S7. No matter how recent it is, it has been around since there was a game tuner, but it has only been raised among smartphone and IT enthusiasts and has not spread to the general public.
In the meantime, the reason why it became so public was that until the Galaxy S20, the performance decline due to GOS was not so severe, and when I decided to turn off GOS, I was able to use an adb (for free and developer) or a PDP (for paid and general users).
In the case of S20, an app that supports 120 fps was not registered in the GOS frame-limiting allowed white list, causing a 60 fps lock. In this case, it was only an issue to the extent that the GOS solution was shared for the purpose of the method to run at 120 fps. If you are not such a special user, the response to GOS was small.
The reason why Samsung Galaxy GOS became an issue.
However, since the One UI 4.0 (Android 12) update, not only has all methods of deactivating GOS been blocked, but the performance degradation and clock-down policy due to GOS have become more severe to prevent heat generation raised from S21. For example, in the case of the Galaxy S20 series, GPU clockdown was very small even when GOS was applied because it was originally equipped with Snapdragon 865, which has excellent heat generation control and performance retention. However, after the One UI 4.0 update, the clock also began to be significantly limited to 300 MHz. In addition, GOS has become impossible to disable due to kernel-level integration. From One UI 4.0, which has severe clock down, the width of performance itself is even greater.
In other words, the degree of performance degradation was not severe in the past, and the method of turning off the GOS was shared, so the spark did not grow. However, complaints were mounting as the degree of performance degradation was getting worse and the update of One UI 4.0 completely blocked how to turn off the GOS. Meanwhile, on February 22, 2022, after the release of S22, a video of a Samsung Electronics employee appearing in person on the IT review YouTube channel Omokgyo Electronics Shopping Center was uploaded, which caused a big stir.
Substance of GOS functions explained by Samsung Electronics employees
Bit (host): We can't help but talk about games and clocks, but when we look at the mobile game user community, there seems to be some feedback that "Samsung Galaxy product line has traditionally a little low clock count." I'd like to ask you what you think about this point.
Samsung Electronics staff: Actually, what should I say? It can be said that there are some tightly managed parts. But the important part is... I think it's related to consumer safety. This absolute criterion should never be compromised. In the case of games, it is judged internally that they are being evaluated as "a bit tightly managed" because they often use all the functions and performance of smartphones.
Bit (host): Let me ask you something about Samsung GOS right away. (Existing Galaxy) users seem to be talking about how to turn off the GOS. I'm wondering if you'd like to release this as well.
Samsung Electronics employees: The current market environment (in) mobile user experience is changing very quickly, and there are some areas to consider as a variety of high-end (device-based) experiences are increasing. However, so far, as I have said, we are very focused on consumer safety, and we are trying not to find any compromise in that area. (There is no compromise when it comes to safety)
What are the customers' complaints about GOS?
The controversy spread throughout the Internet community and sparked public debate as it responded as if transferring responsibility to consumers through outdated remarks such as "for the safety of customers" through false specifications.
In the midst of such a heated public opinion, a user who was angry about the remark altered the name of the benchmark app to the name of the mobile game and turned the benchmark around, resulting in a far lower score than when it was not altered, raising serious problems.