diff --git a/cmd/mxl-player/main.go b/cmd/mxl-player/main.go
index a68b0ac..639ac56 100644
--- a/cmd/mxl-player/main.go
+++ b/cmd/mxl-player/main.go
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 	"unsafe"
 
+	cimgui "github.com/AllenDang/cimgui-go/imgui"
 	vk "github.com/christerso/vulkan-go/vk"
 	"github.com/qvest-digital/go-mxl/mxl"
 	pflag "github.com/spf13/pflag"
@@ -325,6 +326,15 @@ func main() {
 			panic(err)
 		}
 		defer r.Destroy()
+		guiBackend, err := imgui.NewVulkanBackend(
+			vkPhysDevice, vkDevice, vkQueue, r.CmdPool(), r.RenderPass())
+		if err != nil {
+			panic(err)
+		}
+		defer guiBackend.Destroy()
+		r.ImGuiDraw = func(cmd vk.CommandBuffer) {
+			guiBackend.RecordDraw(cmd, gui.LastDrawData())
+		}
 		defer vkDevice.WaitIdle()
 	}
 
@@ -528,7 +538,9 @@ func main() {
 		dropped    uint64
 		frameCount uint64
 		lastReport time.Time
+		lastFrame  time.Time
 	)
+	lastFrame = time.Now()
 	for running {
 		frameStart := time.Now()
 		var event [128]byte
@@ -589,6 +601,15 @@ func main() {
 		}
 
 		if r != nil {
+			gui.BeginFrame(time.Since(lastFrame), int32(r.Extent().Width), int32(r.Extent().Height))
+			// test widget
+			cimgui.Begin("Test")
+			imguiLabel := fmt.Sprintf("%dx%d", 1920, 1080)
+			cimgui.SeparatorText(imguiLabel)
+			cimgui.End()
+			gui.EndFrame()
+			lastFrame = time.Now()
+			// end of test widget
 			var w, h, stride uint32
 			if syncSrc != nil {
 				w, h, stride = syncSrc.Width(), syncSrc.Height(), syncSrc.Stride()
diff --git a/imgui.ini b/imgui.ini
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a6f437a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/imgui.ini
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+[Window][Debug##Default]
+Pos=60,60
+Size=400,400
+Collapsed=0
+
+[Window][Test]
+Pos=352,204
+Size=554,180
+Collapsed=0
+
diff --git a/internal/imgui/backend_vulkan.go b/internal/imgui/backend_vulkan.go
index e69de29..cef47da 100644
--- a/internal/imgui/backend_vulkan.go
+++ b/internal/imgui/backend_vulkan.go
@@ -0,0 +1,301 @@
+package imgui
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"unsafe"
+
+	cimgui "github.com/AllenDang/cimgui-go/imgui"
+	"github.com/christerso/vulkan-go/vk"
+)
+
+// Renders ImGui draw data inside an existing Vulkan render pass
+type VulkanBackend struct {
+	pd      vk.PhysicalDevice
+	dev     vk.Device
+	queue   vk.Queue
+	cmdPool vk.CommandPool
+
+	pipeline       vk.Pipeline
+	pipelineLayout vk.PipelineLayout
+	descSetLayout  vk.DescriptorSetLayout
+	descPool       vk.DescriptorPool
+	descSet        vk.DescriptorSet
+	vertMod        vk.ShaderModule
+	fragMod        vk.ShaderModule
+
+	fontImg     vk.AllocImage
+	fontView    vk.ImageView
+	fontSampler vk.Sampler
+
+	vertBuf  vk.AllocBuffer
+	idxBuf   vk.AllocBuffer
+	vertSize vk.DeviceSize
+	idxSize  vk.DeviceSize
+}
+
+// NewVulkanBackend creates the ImGui pipeline, font atlas, and buffers.
+// rp is the existing render pass; format is the swapchain color format.
+func NewVulkanBackend(pd vk.PhysicalDevice, dev vk.Device, queue vk.Queue, cmdPool vk.CommandPool, rp vk.RenderPass) (*VulkanBackend, error) {
+	b := &VulkanBackend{pd: pd, dev: dev, queue: queue, cmdPool: cmdPool}
+
+	// 1. Font atlas — build and upload via CreateTexture2D (handles staging).
+	io := cimgui.CurrentIO()
+	fontAtlas := io.Fonts()
+	cimgui.InternalImFontAtlasBuildMain(fontAtlas)
+	texData := fontAtlas.TexData()
+	w, h := texData.Width(), texData.Height()
+	pixelCount := int(w) * int(h) * 4 // RGBA32 = 4 bytes/pixel
+	pixels := unsafe.Slice((*byte)(unsafe.Pointer(texData.Pixels())), pixelCount)
+
+	var err error
+	b.fontImg, b.fontView, err = dev.CreateTexture2D(pd, queue, cmdPool, uint32(w), uint32(h), pixels)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("imgui font atlas: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	// Font sampler: linear, clamp to edge.
+	b.fontSampler, err = dev.CreateSampler(vk.SamplerConfig{
+		MagFilter:    vk.FilterLinear,
+		MinFilter:    vk.FilterLinear,
+		AddressModeU: vk.SamplerAddressModeClampToEdge,
+		AddressModeV: vk.SamplerAddressModeClampToEdge,
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		b.destroyAll()
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	// 2. Shaders.
+	b.vertMod, err = dev.CreateShaderModule(vertSPV)
+	if err != nil {
+		b.destroyAll()
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	b.fragMod, err = dev.CreateShaderModule(fragSPV)
+	if err != nil {
+		b.destroyAll()
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	// 3. Descriptor set: one combined image sampler (font), fragment stage.
+	b.descSetLayout, err = dev.CreateDescriptorSetLayout([]vk.DescriptorBinding{
+		{Binding: 0, Type: vk.DescriptorCombinedImageSampler, Count: 1, Stages: vk.ShaderStageFragment},
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		b.destroyAll()
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	b.descPool, err = dev.CreateDescriptorPool(1, map[vk.DescriptorType]uint32{
+		vk.DescriptorCombinedImageSampler: 1,
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		b.destroyAll()
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	b.descSet, err = dev.AllocateDescriptorSet(b.descPool, b.descSetLayout)
+	if err != nil {
+		b.destroyAll()
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	dev.UpdateImageDescriptor(b.descSet, 0, b.fontView, b.fontSampler)
+
+	// 4. Pipeline layout: one set + 16 bytes push constants (vertex+fragment).
+	b.pipelineLayout, err = dev.CreatePipelineLayout(
+		[]vk.DescriptorSetLayout{b.descSetLayout},
+		vk.ShaderStageVertex|vk.ShaderStageFragment, 16,
+	)
+	if err != nil {
+		b.destroyAll()
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	// 5. Graphics pipeline: vertex input (pos+uv+col = 20 bytes), alpha blend.
+	b.pipeline, err = dev.CreateGraphicsPipeline(vk.GraphicsPipelineConfig{
+		Layout:       b.pipelineLayout,
+		RenderPass:   rp,
+		VertexShader: b.vertMod,
+		FragShader:   b.fragMod,
+		Bindings: []vk.VertexInputBinding{
+			{Binding: 0, Stride: 20, InputRate: vk.VertexInputRateVertex},
+		},
+		Attributes: []vk.VertexInputAttribute{
+			{Location: 0, Binding: 0, Format: vk.Format(103), Offset: 0},          // pos: R32G32Sfloat
+			{Location: 1, Binding: 0, Format: vk.Format(103), Offset: 8},          // uv:  R32G32Sfloat
+			{Location: 2, Binding: 0, Format: vk.FormatR8G8B8A8Unorm, Offset: 16}, // col: R8G8B8A8Unorm
+		},
+		Topology:    vk.TopologyTriangleList,
+		PolygonMode: vk.PolygonFill,
+		CullMode:    vk.CullNone,
+		FrontFace:   vk.FrontFaceCounterClockwise,
+		Blend:       true,
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		b.destroyAll()
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	// 6. Vertex/index buffers: host-visible, mapped. Start at 64KB/16KB, grow if needed.
+	b.vertSize = 1 << 16
+	b.idxSize = 1 << 14
+	b.vertBuf, err = dev.CreateBuffer(pd, vk.BufferConfig{
+		Size:       b.vertSize,
+		Usage:      vk.BufferUsageVertexBuffer,
+		Properties: vk.MemoryHostVisible | vk.MemoryHostCoherent,
+		Map:        true,
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		b.destroyAll()
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	b.idxBuf, err = dev.CreateBuffer(pd, vk.BufferConfig{
+		Size:       vk.DeviceSize(b.idxSize),
+		Usage:      vk.BufferUsageIndexBuffer,
+		Properties: vk.MemoryHostVisible | vk.MemoryHostCoherent,
+		Map:        true,
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		b.destroyAll()
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return b, nil
+}
+
+// RecordDraw records ImGui draw commands into the command buffer.
+// Must be called inside the render pass, after your scene draw, before EndRenderPass.
+func (b *VulkanBackend) RecordDraw(cmd vk.CommandBuffer, drawData *cimgui.DrawData) {
+	if !drawData.Valid() || drawData.CmdListsCount() == 0 {
+		return
+	}
+
+	totalVtx := int(drawData.TotalVtxCount())
+	totalIdx := int(drawData.TotalIdxCount())
+	vertBytes := totalVtx * 20
+	idxBytes := totalIdx * 2
+
+	// Grow vertex buffer if needed.
+	if vk.DeviceSize(vertBytes) > b.vertSize {
+		b.dev.DestroyBuffer(b.vertBuf)
+		b.vertSize = vk.DeviceSize(vertBytes) * 2
+		b.vertBuf, _ = b.dev.CreateBuffer(b.pd, vk.BufferConfig{
+			Size:       b.vertSize,
+			Usage:      vk.BufferUsageVertexBuffer,
+			Properties: vk.MemoryHostVisible | vk.MemoryHostCoherent,
+			Map:        true,
+		})
+	}
+	// Grow index buffer if needed.
+	if vk.DeviceSize(idxBytes) > vk.DeviceSize(b.idxBuf.Size) {
+		b.dev.DestroyBuffer(b.idxBuf)
+		b.idxBuf, _ = b.dev.CreateBuffer(b.pd, vk.BufferConfig{
+			Size:       vk.DeviceSize(idxBytes) * 2,
+			Usage:      vk.BufferUsageIndexBuffer,
+			Properties: vk.MemoryHostVisible | vk.MemoryHostCoherent,
+			Map:        true,
+		})
+	}
+
+	// Copy all vertex/index data into the mapped buffers.
+	vertOffset := 0
+	idxOffset := 0
+	cmdLists := drawData.CommandLists()
+	for _, list := range cmdLists {
+		// Vertices: GetVertexBuffer returns raw C pointer + byte size.
+		vtxPtr, vtxBytes2 := list.GetVertexBuffer()
+		if vtxBytes2 > 0 {
+			src := unsafe.Slice((*byte)(vtxPtr), vtxBytes2)
+			dst := unsafe.Slice((*byte)(b.vertBuf.Mapped), vertBytes)
+			copy(dst[vertOffset:], src)
+			vertOffset += vtxBytes2
+		}
+		// Indices: GetIndexBuffer returns raw C pointer + byte size.
+		idxPtr, idxBytes2 := list.GetIndexBuffer()
+		if idxBytes2 > 0 {
+			src := unsafe.Slice((*byte)(idxPtr), idxBytes2)
+			dst := unsafe.Slice((*byte)(b.idxBuf.Mapped), idxBytes)
+			copy(dst[idxOffset:], src)
+			idxOffset += idxBytes2
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Push constants: scale + translate (transforms ImGui pixels to clip space).
+	displaySize := drawData.DisplaySize()
+	displayPos := drawData.DisplayPos()
+	scale := [2]float32{2.0 / displaySize.X, 2.0 / displaySize.Y}
+	translate := [2]float32{
+		-1.0 - 2.0*displayPos.X/displaySize.X,
+		-1.0 - 2.0*displayPos.Y/displaySize.Y,
+	}
+	pc := struct {
+		Scale     [2]float32
+		Translate [2]float32
+	}{
+		Scale:     scale,
+		Translate: translate,
+	}
+	cmd.PushConstants(b.pipelineLayout, vk.ShaderStageVertex|vk.ShaderStageFragment, 0, unsafe.Pointer(&pc), 16)
+
+	// Bind pipeline + descriptor set + vertex/index buffers.
+	cmd.BindPipeline(b.pipeline)
+	cmd.BindDescriptorSet(b.pipelineLayout, 0, b.descSet)
+	offsets := []vk.DeviceSize{0}
+	cmd.BindVertexBuffers(0, []vk.Buffer{b.vertBuf.Buffer}, offsets)
+	cmd.BindIndexBuffer(b.idxBuf.Buffer, 0, vk.IndexTypeUint16)
+
+	// Draw each command list, translating clip rects to scissors.
+	vtxOff := uint32(0)
+	idxOff := uint32(0)
+	for _, list := range cmdLists {
+		cmds := list.Commands()
+		for _, dc := range cmds {
+			if dc.HasUserCallback() {
+				dc.CallUserCallback(list)
+				continue
+			}
+			clip := dc.ClipRect()
+			sx := int32(clip.X - displayPos.X)
+			sy := int32(clip.Y - displayPos.Y)
+			ex := int32(clip.Z - displayPos.X)
+			ey := int32(clip.W - displayPos.Y)
+			if sx < 0 {
+				sx = 0
+			}
+			if sy < 0 {
+				sy = 0
+			}
+			if ex > int32(displaySize.X) {
+				ex = int32(displaySize.X)
+			}
+			if ey > int32(displaySize.Y) {
+				ey = int32(displaySize.Y)
+			}
+			if ex > sx && ey > sy {
+				cmd.SetScissor(vk.Rect2D{
+					Offset: vk.Offset2D{X: sx, Y: sy},
+					Extent: vk.Extent2D{Width: uint32(ex - sx), Height: uint32(ey - sy)},
+				})
+			}
+			cmd.DrawIndexed(dc.ElemCount(), 1, idxOff+dc.IdxOffset(), int32(vtxOff+dc.VtxOffset()), 0)
+		}
+		vtxOff += uint32(list.VtxBuffer().Size)
+		idxOff += uint32(list.IdxBuffer().Size)
+	}
+}
+
+func (b *VulkanBackend) destroyAll() {
+	b.dev.DestroyBuffer(b.idxBuf)
+	b.dev.DestroyBuffer(b.vertBuf)
+	b.dev.DestroyPipeline(b.pipeline)
+	b.dev.DestroyPipelineLayout(b.pipelineLayout)
+	b.dev.DestroyDescriptorPool(b.descPool)
+	b.dev.DestroyDescriptorSetLayout(b.descSetLayout)
+	b.dev.DestroyShaderModule(b.fragMod)
+	b.dev.DestroyShaderModule(b.vertMod)
+	b.dev.DestroySampler(b.fontSampler)
+	b.dev.DestroyImageView(b.fontView)
+	b.dev.DestroyImage(b.fontImg)
+}
+
+func (b *VulkanBackend) Destroy() {
+	b.destroyAll()
+}
diff --git a/internal/imgui/imgui.go b/internal/imgui/imgui.go
index d020023..7584645 100644
--- a/internal/imgui/imgui.go
+++ b/internal/imgui/imgui.go
@@ -8,8 +8,9 @@ import (
 
 // ImGui context & IO wrapper
 type Context struct {
-	ctx *cimgui.Context
-	io  *cimgui.IO
+	ctx          *cimgui.Context
+	io           *cimgui.IO
+	lastDrawData *cimgui.DrawData
 }
 
 func New() *Context {
@@ -36,8 +37,11 @@ func (c *Context) BeginFrame(dt time.Duration, winW, winH int32) {
 func (c *Context) EndFrame() *cimgui.DrawData {
 	cimgui.EndFrame()
 	cimgui.Render()
+	c.lastDrawData = cimgui.CurrentDrawData()
 	return cimgui.CurrentDrawData()
 }
 
 // expose io to input backend
 func (c *Context) IO() *cimgui.IO { return c.io }
+
+func (c *Context) LastDrawData() *cimgui.DrawData { return c.lastDrawData }
diff --git a/internal/renderer/renderer.go b/internal/renderer/renderer.go
index 1458c58..8dbbefe 100644
--- a/internal/renderer/renderer.go
+++ b/internal/renderer/renderer.go
@@ -59,6 +59,9 @@ type Renderer struct {
 	imageAvailable vk.Semaphore
 	renderFinished vk.Semaphore
 	inFlight       vk.Fence
+
+	// Called inside render pass, after video draw
+	ImGuiDraw func(cmd vk.CommandBuffer)
 }
 
 // public params, needed to create a Renderer
@@ -441,6 +444,9 @@ func (r *Renderer) DrawFrame(videoW, videoH, stride uint32) error {
 	}
 	cmd.PushConstants(r.decodeLayout, vk.ShaderStageFragment, 0, unsafe.Pointer(&pc), 20)
 	cmd.Draw(3, 1, 0, 0)
+	if r.ImGuiDraw != nil {
+		r.ImGuiDraw(cmd)
+	}
 	cmd.EndRenderPass()
 	if err := cmd.End(); err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -465,3 +471,6 @@ func (r *Renderer) DrawFrame(videoW, videoH, stride uint32) error {
 	}
 	return nil
 }
+
+func (r *Renderer) CmdPool() vk.CommandPool   { return r.cmdPool }
+func (r *Renderer) RenderPass() vk.RenderPass { return r.renderPass }