Werewolf's VFLEX dongle lets old gadgets run on USB-C power
A small programmable dongle from Werewolf lets legacy devices without USB-C ports draw power from modern USB-C batteries and chargers. It works by negotiating the exact voltage a device needs rather than converting it.
A recent hands-on account published by The Verge describes how a compact programmable adapter called VFLEX, made by a company named Werewolf, can bring USB-C charging to devices that predate the standard entirely, including desktop monitors, retro game consoles and external hard drives.
Older devices with barrel-jack power ports typically cannot be charged directly from USB-C sources because they require specific, often non-standard voltages. VFLEX solves this by using the same power-negotiation protocols found in modern USB-C chargers, letting the user specify the exact voltage a device needs instead of converting power after the fact. The dongle costs around $8, with compatible barrel-jack tips priced at about $4 each.
How it works
Before connecting VFLEX to a device, it must be programmed through a companion phone app, which stores profiles for individual gadgets and chargers and can test how much power a given charger can actually deliver. This step matters because not every USB-C charger supports every voltage — even a powerful 140W Apple charger could not supply the 19 volts required by one monitor described in the piece.
Limitations
Some devices, including guitar pedals and certain retro consoles, use reverse polarity and require a separate orange-tipped connector, since the app cannot currently configure this automatically. According to the account, Werewolf's team acknowledges the system may not appeal to average consumers due to these complications, and is developing dedicated adapter cables for retro consoles, medical equipment and industrial connectors, while also planning to eventually replace the orange connectors with a reverse-polarity version of VFLEX itself.
