Samsung’s One UI 4.1 has the game throttling performance fix

Samsung has a lot on its plate right now, from ensuring sure adequate Galaxy S22 series supplies are accessible throughout the world to correcting software bugs on the new flagships to pushing out One UI 4.1 — which debuted with the Galaxy S22 family — to older handsets.

Latest One UI 4.1 Update

The One UI 4.1 update has been rolling out to more devices in recent days, and while there are a number of new features to look forward to, it appears that one of the best features of One UI 4.1 is that it includes a fix for the game performance throttling that landed Samsung in hot water a few weeks ago.

To summarise, Samsung’s Game Optimization Service (GOS), which is embedded within the Game Booster software that comes preinstalled on most Galaxy devices, limits CPU and GPU usage during gameplay to keep device temperatures and battery life in check. However, when it was found that benchmark applications aren’t throttled in the same way that games are, it sparked a debate, leading to questions about how much performance Samsung had been leaving on the table through GOS. It was also previously reported that apps other than games such as photo finder were being affected by GOS however it was found to be just a rumor.

In response, Samsung has released an update for the Galaxy S22 series that corrects the throttling behavior, at least in the early stages of games, while also ensuring that device temperatures do not spiral out of control. In-Game Booster, the update added an alternative game performance management setting that allows users to entirely eliminate thermal management using GOS in order to get the greatest performance out of their games.

As previously stated, Samsung has included the patch in the One UI 4.1 update for all devices getting the new software. This includes flagships like the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy Z Fold 3 as well as mid-range devices like the Galaxy A52, which received One UI 4.1 this week.

Games should perform better by default on Galaxy devices running One UI 4.1, and by using the other performance management setting accessible in Game Booster’s Labs menu, users should witness even improved frame rates. Third-party apps will also be able to prevent GOS from slowing them automatically, but how much developers will take advantage of this remains to be seen.