diff --git a/examples/dp_renderer.h b/examples/dp_renderer.h
index 513e2ad6..24cd1930 100644
--- a/examples/dp_renderer.h
+++ b/examples/dp_renderer.h
@@ -140,6 +140,9 @@ static inline SDL_Window *dp_create_sdl_window(int window_flags)
 
     win = SDL_CreateWindow("Dav1dPlay", SDL_WINDOWPOS_CENTERED, SDL_WINDOWPOS_CENTERED,
         WINDOW_WIDTH, WINDOW_HEIGHT, window_flags);
+    if (!win)
+        return NULL;
+
     SDL_SetWindowResizable(win, SDL_TRUE);
 
     return win;
diff --git a/examples/dp_renderer_placebo.c b/examples/dp_renderer_placebo.c
index 6c3a1597..603ab48d 100644
--- a/examples/dp_renderer_placebo.c
+++ b/examples/dp_renderer_placebo.c
@@ -86,17 +86,20 @@ static Dav1dPlayRendererPrivateContext*
 
     // Create Window
     SDL_Window *sdlwin = dp_create_sdl_window(window_flags | SDL_WINDOW_RESIZABLE);
-    if (sdlwin == NULL)
+    if (sdlwin == NULL) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "Creating SDL window failed: %s\n", SDL_GetError());
         return NULL;
+    }
 
     SDL_ShowCursor(0);
 
     // Alloc
     Dav1dPlayRendererPrivateContext *const rd_priv_ctx =
         calloc(1, sizeof(Dav1dPlayRendererPrivateContext));
-    if (rd_priv_ctx == NULL)
+    if (rd_priv_ctx == NULL) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "Out of memory!\n");
         return NULL;
-
+    }
     rd_priv_ctx->win = sdlwin;
 
     // Init libplacebo
@@ -109,6 +112,7 @@ static Dav1dPlayRendererPrivateContext*
 #endif
     ));
     if (rd_priv_ctx->log == NULL) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "pl_log_create failed!\n");
         free(rd_priv_ctx);
         return NULL;
     }
@@ -143,6 +147,10 @@ static void *placebo_renderer_create_gl(const Dav1dPlaySettings *settings)
     sdlwin = rd_priv_ctx->win;
 
     rd_priv_ctx->gl_context = SDL_GL_CreateContext(sdlwin);
+    if (!rd_priv_ctx->gl_context) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "Failed creating opengl context: %s\n", SDL_GetError());
+        exit(2);
+    }
     SDL_GL_MakeCurrent(sdlwin, rd_priv_ctx->gl_context);
 
     rd_priv_ctx->gl = pl_opengl_create(rd_priv_ctx->log, pl_opengl_params(
diff --git a/examples/dp_renderer_sdl.c b/examples/dp_renderer_sdl.c
index 39e6ac8e..773c4897 100644
--- a/examples/dp_renderer_sdl.c
+++ b/examples/dp_renderer_sdl.c
@@ -50,14 +50,16 @@ static void *sdl_renderer_create(const Dav1dPlaySettings *settings)
         window_flags |= SDL_WINDOW_FULLSCREEN_DESKTOP;
 
     SDL_Window *win = dp_create_sdl_window(window_flags);
-    if (win == NULL)
+    if (win == NULL) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "Creating SDL window failed: %s\n", SDL_GetError());
         return NULL;
-
+    }
     SDL_ShowCursor(0);
 
     // Alloc
     Dav1dPlayRendererPrivateContext *rd_priv_ctx = malloc(sizeof(Dav1dPlayRendererPrivateContext));
     if (rd_priv_ctx == NULL) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "Out of memory!\n");
         return NULL;
     }
     rd_priv_ctx->win = win;