Werewolf VFLEX Dongle Brings USB-C Power to Old Gear
Werewolf has released VFLEX, an $8 (USD) dongle that lets any USB-C battery or charger power old barrel-jack gadgets. Owners of retro consoles, vintage cameras, or dead proprietary power bricks now have one cheap fix instead of hunting for replacement adapters.
What actually happened
The Verge's Sean Hollister tested the VFLEX dongle in a report published 7 August 2026. It sells for $8 (USD), with barrel-jack tips priced at $4 (USD) each. The dongle plugs into a USB-C charger or battery and negotiates power directly, covering standard Power Delivery levels of 5V, 9V, 15V, 20V, 28V, 36V, and up to 48V on a 240W charger. Hollister ran a Super Famicom, a 24W monitor, and a sub-1W HDMI adapter off a single Shargeek 300 battery using VFLEX adapters, according to Werewolf transformed my old gadgets into USB-C powered ones. Werewolf's Kevin Spangler admitted the setup "may not resonate with the average consumer." Founder Luke Beno confirmed a reverse-polarity dongle is coming.
How we got here
USB-C has become the default for phones, laptops, and tablets, but older gear like the 1990 Super Famicom or vintage hard drives predates USB Power Delivery entirely. Those devices still depend on barrel jacks and dedicated AC bricks. Instead of converting voltage, VFLEX asks a USB-C charger to supply the exact voltage a device needs, the same negotiation modern laptops already use. Users set up charger and device profiles through a companion app or public API, then reuse those profiles later. That turns a strong USB-C battery into a stand-in for dozens of discontinued power supplies.
Why this matters for you
Retro console collectors, vintage camera owners, and anyone running industrial equipment on obsolete barrel jacks can drop dead proprietary bricks without modifying the hardware itself. Builders get a working example of negotiated power delivery instead of fixed-voltage conversion circuits. Werewolf is already building dedicated cables for retro consoles, CPAP machines, and M12 industrial connectors, pushing the idea past hobbyist use. Compatibility still has limits. Only chargers with programmable power supply voltages, or Extended Power Range chargers above 100W, unlock VFLEX's full voltage range. Buyers need to check charger specs before assuming full coverage.
The bigger question
If one dongle can bridge decades-old barrel jacks into modern USB-C negotiation, what other aging interfaces, analog video, industrial connectors, could get the same treatment? The bigger question is about design philosophy. Should hardware makers build future gadgets around negotiated, software-defined power from day one, instead of locking voltage into a fixed wall adapter? How manufacturers answer that could decide whether gadgets are built to last decades or just one product cycle.
What to watch
Werewolf founder Luke Beno plans a reverse-polarity VFLEX version, cutting the need for separate orange-tipped connectors. Adapter cables for retro consoles, CPAP machines, and M12 industrial connectors are also in development. Former Werewolf staffer Kevin Spangler suggested the company could eventually build its own power supplies to unlock extra voltages. No release dates have been announced for any of these products yet.
