System and method for interactive units within virtual reality environments

A method of delivering ancillary virtual reality content, comprising:

• rendering or streaming a virtual environment in or to a head mounted display;
• rendering or streaming within the virtual environment one or more vessels, the one or more vessels displaying associated images or other textures;
• detecting user input by detecting a user gaze toward a vessel or detecting an orientation of the virtual reality display toward the vessel;
• if the user input, detected by detecting a user gaze toward a vessel or detecting an orientation of the virtual reality display toward the vessel, indicates a vessel, stopping playback of and replacing all of the virtual environment in the head mounted display, the replacing including rendering or streaming ancillary virtual reality content, the ancillary virtual reality content including a virtual reality experience or a 360° video;
• and
• following a conclusion of the rendering or streaming of the ancillary virtual reality content, resuming rendering or streaming the virtual environment.

A method of delivering ancillary virtual reality content, comprising:

• accessing visual data and causing a rendering or streaming of a virtual environment in a virtual reality display, the virtual environment including a dock defining one or more dock boxes as part of the virtual environment, the dock boxes providing areas or volumes for placement of respective vessels;
• accessing user data;
• selecting a vessel based at least in part on the accessed user data;
• populating a dock box with the selected vessel;
• detecting user input by detecting a user gaze toward a vessel or detecting an orientation of the virtual reality display toward the vessel;
• upon detecting user input indicating a particular vessel by detecting the user gaze toward the vessel or detecting the orientation of the virtual reality display toward the vessel, rendering or streaming an ancillary virtual reality content associated with the indicated vessel, the ancillary virtual reality content stopping and replacing the rendered or streamed virtual environment;
• and
• following the rendering or streaming of the ancillary virtual reality content, resuming rendering or streaming the virtual environment.